June 20, 2020 – Croatian tourism’s strength is in its fantastic authentic experiences, and there is nowhere quite like Blaca Monastery on Brac, especially after this outstanding renovation. Take the video tour.
One of my favourite stories about Croatia concerns the grand piano at the spectacular and very remote Blaca Hermitage monastery on the island of Brac.
Even today, you can only reach this unique complex by foot, a 30-minute hike being the shortest approach. And so it was all the more surprising to discover that the complex has – among many other unusual things – a grand piano. The piano was apparently ordered by the head priest at the time for his nephew to play.
Carrying the piano from the bay the boat docked at to Blaca Hermitage was a gruelling task. It took 12 men 8 hours to carry the piano to its final resting place, and they apparently consumed 56 litres of wine between them on the way. The piano somehow arrived in perfect condition and sits there today.
A little like the mysterious Dragons Cave not far away, Blaca is a fascinating attraction off the beaten track, about which not that much is known.
Until now.
Until this video.
If I could give an example of how to present a fabulous cultural treasure to the world in English, I doubt I could do better than translator and narrator VivianGrisigono M.A. and the team from the Brac Cultural Centre. Not only does it present the rich history of Blaca superbly, but it also goes into great detail on the successful restoration documents. A very worthwhile watch.
This is the story of the Blaca Hermitage, a unique historic cultural complex dating from the 16th century. Our presentation includes glimpses of the monastery’s past, some of the restoration works which have been carried out, and the plans for integrated protection of this exceptionally precious cultural landscape. The primary concept for the museum is the preservation of all the heritage assets of the Blaca Hermitage, in a clean, unpolluted environment, creating a true eco-system for the future.
Production: NOVENA d.o.o. Zagreb Scenario: Jasna Damjanović, Brač Cultural Centre English translation and narration: Vivian Grisogono, MA(Oxon) Material used in the video is drawn from the archives of the Brač Cultural Centre, and photographs by Kristijan Brkić, Tom Dubravec, Jasna Damjanović, Vanja Kovačić, Aleksander Kukec, Tomislav Marić, Predrag Mandić, Franjo Mlinac and Mario Romulić. The video has been produced with support from the Split-Dalmatian County.
To learn more about the island of Brac, here are 25 things to know.
