Smokvica

Smokvica is one of five old settlements on the island of Korcula where people have been living from prehistoric times up to now. It is situated in the central part of the island underneath the sloping and curving hills of Vela and Mala Obala. The town of Smokvica lies on the widest part of the island and this is the spot where the landscape happens to be the most diverse, offering thus the excellent communication among the residents during prehistoric era. Smokvica is sheltered from the north winds by several rocky cliffs stretching from the east to the west and it is open towards the south along with the sun and the sea; therefore the winters are unusually mild and warm.

The district of the Smokvica municipality comprises the settlements of Smokvica, Brna, Istruga, Vinacac- Bogujina and Blaca and the municipality border coincides with the margin established in the land register of the Smokvica community (article 2 of the Community Statute) .
 In the district of Smokvica the largest fields, fertile valleys could be found. It also abounds with forests, hills, meadows and grazing land.Throughout the centuries the people of the island of Korcula were involved in agriculture, particularly in wine growing.

It would be a mistake if the name of the town was connected with the Mediterranean fruit “smokva” (fig), since the origin of the town’s name derives from Romanic languages in which Smokvica indicated the presence of water. Namely, not too far from Smokvica, in the field Siknica, the numerous puddles , existing even in prehistoric times, could be found, and respectively the town was named Smokvica. Even though the settlement’s boundaries were mentioned in the Statute of Korcula in 1214, life in this area dates a way back to Illiric Gradina from 2000 BC and to ancient Croatian graveyard which remnants are not far away from the actual cemetery. The above mentioned fact gives evidence to prehistoric life in this area. The town of Smokvica is dominated by the Parish of the Madonna of Kandalor, which is the patron of the town. The church building began in 1902 whereas the consecration took place in 1920. The Parish was built at the same site where the Church of St, Mary, firstly mentioned in 1361 used to be. The Church of St. Mary was expanded in 1666 and was built up in 1770. Within the Church complex there is a loggia from the 1700’s which is still in good condition since it was restored in 1995.

The Church is surrounded by Mala and Vela squares where the old game Kumpanija has been annually held throughout the centuries along with some other celebrations. The restoration of the Mala Square coincided with the establishment of the town’s water system in 1999. The oldest part of the town is near the Church of St. Mihovil, which was , at one point in history, very well fortified and guarded from the intruders. The town has many castles which used to be the property of the nobility of Korcula (today these are owned by the residents of Smokvica), churches and estates of the nobles, scattered all over the Smokvica district.

Administratively, Smokvica was a part of the medieval municipality of Korcula with its headquarter in the town of Korcula until 1843, when Smokvica was incorporated into a new county, Blato. In 1962 Smokvica itself matured as a county but only for a short period of time after which it again became a part of Korcula municipality. In 1993 Smokvica regained the position of an independent county and as such exists even nowadays. The land particles of Smokvica have always coincided with the boundaries set by the land office. Today, the population of Smokvica numbers up to 1000 (including the Brna Gulf), but after the First World War the population density was very high; 1400 residents. Throughout the centuries, the people of Smokvica have been known as good farmers and patriots always apt to protect the town from enemies.

In spite of a very small number of inhabitants, there are many clubs and associations enriching the social and cultural life of the town. The ones which are active today are the Knighthood Kumpanija, Folk music Association , a hunting club, a Church choir, male and finale singing groups, a cheerleading squad and a voluntary fire brigades association. Most of these activities are meant to preserve the cultural tradition of Smokvica. In Smokvica there is a public school built in 1914, but a regular school attendance had already begun in 1876. Since 1955 there has been an active medical clinic, but in 2001 a new and modern medical facility was built as to offer the basic medical care to the residents of Smokvica. In 1953 a modern wine processing plant was built in Smokvica with a capacity of 330 wagons of processed raw grapes. The wine Pošip has a particular quality which is protected by the law since it is produced from the grapes also known as pošip, found in the limited locations of the wine hills. Besides the well known wine Pošip, some other sorts of wine are being produced, among them the most popular is Rukatac.

Apart from farming, tourism has recently played the major role in the local economy. There is a great number of private houses in Brna offering accommodation for several hundred more guests. Tourism is very important to the residents of Smokvica since it provides an additional income .The untouched Bay of Istruga , well-known for its curative mud, could be suitable for the curative tourism development. In conclusion, Smokvica is a very small community of rich history and cultural tradition pervaded by the elements of urban life. As such Smokvica was able to resist any historical misfortunes as to preserve its identity. All this guarantees a bright and prosperous future for the generations to come.

SMOKVICA, a town in the interior of the island of Korcula, 10 km east of Blato; elevation 127 m; population 1,125. Chief occupations include farming, viticulture (a large wine cellar with a bottling shop), growing and processing of fruit and olives. Smokvica is situated on the regional road running along the island.

Smokvica was inhabited in the prehistoric per-iod - tumuli. The parish church of Our Lady of Kandelore is now a loggia, the remain of an older church from the 17th century; it served as the seat of the headman and courthouse.

Smokvica has maintained its interesting tradi-tional customs. The symbolic sword dance performed by the Kumpanija (see Blato) represents a real attraction, as well as the old dances. In the period of carnival festivities the custom of "picking the oranges" is revived, when through dance and song the honour to the local beauties and the headman is expressed. The church holidays include Our Lady of Kandelore (the Purification) (2nd of february), when the Kumpanija is an inseparable part of the festivities, and the traditional feast on the Assumption Day (15th of August).

Smokvica is well-known for its wines (Poip and Rukatac). These are white dry wines, of indigenous sort, and among the first to have been classified as the wines of controlled origin in Croatia.