Shipbuilding in Korcula

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About Korcula and its Shipbuilding heritage

Korcula’s long shipbuilding tradition dates probably since pirates times, when the most of the activities actually were about and around the sea.

The first official document about woodcraft in Korcula is The Statute of the City and Island of Korcula from 1214 , one of the oldest legal documents in this part of Europe. Historical documents from 14th century onwards are also pointing on shipbuilding as a Korcula’s important industry.

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Shipbuilders were called ‘kalafati’ and ‘maranguni’ – terms for woodworkers and craftsmen’s that is still in use in local dialect. Those skilled craftsmen were well known around the world at the time when wooden boats and ships were popular.

They were working and teaching shipbuilding all around the Adriatic and Mediterranean, in places like Alexandria or Istanbul, as well as in North and South America.
Shipbuilding as tradition still exists in Korcula but is dying off. There is still couple of shipyards on the island, building metal and plastic ships and boats.

Museum of Town of Korcula has collection of objects about ships, boats and woodwork from Korcula.

Have a look in below photo collection photos of Sveti Nikola and it’s Shipyards – old photos from the times Sveti Nikola Street was suburb of shipbuilders. They have their shipyards all along Sveti Nikola street. Click to check how Sveti Nikola looked a century ago.

Punta Jurana – Shipbulders paradise – Punta Jurana in Korcula – Old Photo – that was the times when there was no any roads or cars at Punta Jurana, just beautiful boats and their creators.