Shipbuilding in Korcula
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 Historical documents from 14th century onwards are also pointing on shipbuilding as a Korcula’s important industry.
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.
Selection of photos of shipbuilding in Korcula:
- Shipyards in Sveti Nikola in 1900s
- Shipyards in Sveti Nikola in 1920s
- Shipyards in Sv Nikola – Korcula (1900s)
- Shipyard in Sveti Nikola, Korcula in 1910s
- Shipyard in Korcula in 1900s
- Shipyard Depolo (1900s)
- Small shipyard Sessa in Korcula (1900s)
- Shipyard in Korcula – Sveti Nikola in 1930s
- Shipyard in Korcula – Punta Jurana, beginning of 20th century
- Shipyard in Korcula in 1915s
- Punta Jurana in Korcula – vintage map of local shipyards from 1778
- Shipyard in Korcula – Borak 1950s
- Shipyard in Borak 1950s
- Shipyard in Borak – late 1960’s
- Shipyards in Punta Jurana, Korcula
- Shipyard in Borak, Korcula
- Shipbuilders in Borak shipyard, Korcula 1930s
- Shipbuilders in Borak shipyard, Korcula 1920s
- Shipbuilders in Korcula
- Shipbuilders, Korcula
- Shipyard in Borak, Korcula in 1930s
- Shipyards in Korcula – Borak / Punta Jurana
- Shipyards in Borak
- Shipyard Vicko Sessa, Korcula
- Repairing Large Schooner in Korcula in 1920s
- Shipbuilders from Korcula with Tito @ Brijuni in 1963
- Steamboat in Korcula Shipyard (1950s)
- Sample of Traditional wooden fishing boat plan
- Pasara Boat
- Guc Boat
- Ribarica Boat
- Trajta Boat
- Leut Boat
Also visit www.bonguardo.com – a website dedicated to history of family MALVARDO – BONVARDO – BONGUARDO, famous shipbuilders from Korcula.