KORCULA - Croatia and Slovenia - page 412

Marco Polo
Kor č ula's favorite son is the great 13th-century explorer Marco Polo. Though Polo
sailed under the auspices of the Venetian Republic, and technically was a Venetian
(sincetheRepubliccontrolledthisregion),Kor č ulansproudlyclaimhimastheirown.
Marco Polo was the first Westerner to sail to China, bringing back amazing stor-
ies and exotic goods (like silk) that Europeans had never seen before. After his trip,
MarcoPolofoughtinanimportant navalbattle against theGenoese nearKor č ula.He
was captured, taken to Genoa, and imprisoned. He told his story to a cellmate, who
wroteitdown,publishedit,andmadetheexploreraworld-classandmuch-in-demand
celebrity. To this day, kids in swimming pools around the world try to find him with
their eyes closed.
Cost and Hours: 20 kn, daily mid-June-Aug 9:00-21:00, Easter-mid-June and Sept-Oct
9:00-15:00, closed Nov-Easter, just north of cathedral on—where else?—ulica Depolo.
Nearby: Across the street from the house's entrance, you'll find a clever Marco Polo
gift shop selling various items related to the explorer—herbs, brandies, honey, and so on.
Each one comes with a little tag telling a legend about M.P.—for example, how the word
“million” was based on his middle name, Emilio (because no existing word was superlat-
ive enough for his discoveries). This is one of five such shops, which you'll see all over
town (daily mid-June-late Sept 9:00-24:00, until 21:00 in shoulder season, closed Nov-
April, ulica Depolo 1A, mobile [phone]).
▲ Icon Museum (Zbirka Ikona)
Kor č ula is known for its many brotherhoods—centuries-old fraternal organizations that
have sprung up around churches. The Brotherhood of All Saints has been meeting every
Sunday after Mass since the 14th century, and they run a small but interesting museum of
icons. Maja, who lives upstairs, speaks no English but will point out what's worth seeing.
These golden religious images were brought back from Greece in the 17th century by
Kor č ulans who fought the Ottomans on a Venetian warship.
Brotherhoods' meeting halls are often connected to their church by a second-story walk-
way. Use this one to step in to the Venetian-style All Saints' Church (Crkva Svih Svetih).
Under the loft in the back of the church, notice the models of boats and tools—donated by
Kor č ula's shipbuilders. Look closely at the painting to the right of the altar. See the guys
in the white robes kneeling under Jesus? That's the Brotherhood, who commissioned this
painting.