Gradac

Overview

History

Gradac was inhabited in prehistoric times. Numerous stone piles dating back to the Bronze and Early Iron Ages testify to the vital activity of the region.

In the village of Gradina, archaeologists found a fragment of a building from the 2nd-3rd centuries, as well as particles of Roman coins. Many tombs have also been discovered, so it is believed that there was once a Roman necropolis on this site.

The medieval town of Lapchan (Labinac), which was mentioned by the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII in the middle of the 10th century, was also located on the territory of modern Gradac.

Gradac has been mentioned under its current name since 1649. It was named after the fortress of the same name, which was located on a hill above St. Michael's Church and was probably built during the Cretan War (1645-1669) as a defense against the Ottomans.

Attractions

The ruins of an old tower from the 16th century can be found in the abandoned village of Chist, and the Chapel of St. Pascal on Mount Plan is one of the oldest buildings in the territory of Gradac.

Next to the old parish church of St. There is a cemetery and a new church of St. Michael, built in 1852. The church has three marble altars with statues. One of them is an old wooden statue of St. Rocco.

Before the military events in the 1990s, there was a memorial monument to the unknown soldier in Gradac, created by the Croatian sculptor Antun Augustincic. It was destroyed as a result of an act of vandalism. Gradac itself is well known for its anti-fascist and partisan history. Therefore, there is a monument to compatriots killed by Yugoslav partisans during WWII in Gradac.

In the vicinity of Gradac there is a Crkvina, where you can see the remains of a Roman postal station between Narona and Mukurum (now Makarska).

Zaostrog is located 14 km from Gradac, where you can see the Franciscan monastery of the 16th century. There is an inscription in Cyrillic on the facade of the church. Around the gallery there are rooms in which unique samples of folk crafts are collected, a library, an art gallery, an archive storing documents about the period of the Turkish occupation.

In the direction of Makarska, 20 km from Gradac, there is one of the oldest settlements of the Riviera — the town of Živogošće (Zivogosce). This town was famous for the spring, near which a Franciscan monastery was built in 1776.

How to get to

The bus ride from Dubrovnik to Gradac takes about 2.5 hours. You can also get to Gradac by car from Dubrovnik and other cities in Croatia.