The ancient Greeks knew the beautiful island of Korcula as Korkyra Melaina (Black Korcula or Black Corfu), because of its dense, lush foliage. The most famous historical figure from the island must be Marco Polo, whose alleged birth house can still be seen. Not surprisingly, Korcula was part of the Venetian Empire from teh 14th to the 18th centuries, and this history has left its mark in the architecture of the main town.
After anchoring on the south side of the Peljesac Peninsula looking south at Korcula, we had a leisurely morning of swimming adn kyaking.
We arrived at the charming port of Korcula around noon and took a guided walking tour of this quintessential medieval town. The town was designed on a slight hill with a herringbone street pattern, offset and sloped to protect from wind, sun and rain, making for a fascinating stroll that took us to St. Mark's Cathedral. This cathedral is perhaps the best proof of the artistry of Korcula's famous stonemasons and the island's excellent stone which has been used all over the world. We visited the Bishop's Palace and saw sketches and drawings by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Tiepolo and many others. We also went to the Church of All Saints, which contains an impressive collection of Byzantine icons. We explored for the afternoon and shopped at the local jewelers shops for traditional filigree necklaces (wire formed into delicate tracery).
In the late afternoon we took a bus to the nearby village of Lumbarda, where we visited the Milina - Bire family winery and had a very nice sampling of wines, cheese, ham, and bread.
Now, if that isn't enough to make you exhausted...we went back to the town for a special outdoor performance of traditional Moreska sword dancing. After a barbecue dinner of all kinds of seafood, we went out to stroll along the waterfront and explore the city walls.
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