Lastovo

by Natasa Lujic
(Dubrovnik)

Lastovo is an island, town municipality in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County in Croatia. The island is noted for its 15th- and 16th-century architecture. There is a large number of churches of relatively small size, a testament to the island's long-standing Roman Catholic tradition.

The major cultural event is the Poklade, or carnival. The island largely relies on its natural beauty and preservation to attract tourists each season. Recently the Croatian Government made the island and its archipelago a nature park.

The most important event on the island is an authentic carnival that the locals call the Poklad. All the island residents participate by wearing folk costumes. The origins of the Lastovo carnival go back to a historical event.

The town's buildings date mainly from the 15th and 16th centuries when the construction of about 20 Renaissance houses redefined the village's appearance.Most of them have high broad terraces which have become the "trade mark" look of Lastovo houses.

Their unusual cylindrical chimneys that the locals call fumari are picturesque and unusual since they look like miniature minarets, although there is no record of Arab or Turkish influence ever directly reaching this area.Recently the Croatian Government made the island and its archipelago a nature park.

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