The great arch
The opening through which ships were brought for repair.
Schorle — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Alex Proimos from Sydney, Australia — CC BY 2.0 · Schorle — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Andrzej Wolinski — CC BY-SA 3.0
A massive stone building closing St Stephen''s Square on the seaward side, holding two stacked functions separated by a single floor. Below is a vaulted sixteenth-century **shipyard**: one wide arch through which Venetian war galleys were brought for repair, among the earliest roofed dry docks on the Adriatic. Above it is a **theatre** opened in **1612**. Its importance is not its age alone but that it was built **for nobles and commoners to enter together**, at a time when theatres were either courtly or confined to one class. That is what makes it the first **municipal** theatre in Europe in this sense: owned by the town, open to its people. The hall is small and horseshoe-shaped, with wooden boxes and painting added in the nineteenth century. Note: **the theatre was closed for restoration for many years** and has since reopened in part; its status changes, so check locally before relying on it. The ground floor today holds an art exhibition space.
The opening through which ships were brought for repair.
A small horseshoe with wooden boxes and nineteenth-century painting.
Closing St Stephen''s Square on the seaward side.
St Stephen''s Square, Hvar Town
St Stephen''s CathedralIt stands at the eastern end of St Stephen''s Square and closes it, so its facad2 minutes walk4.6
Hvar TownThe historic centre of the island of Hvar, and one of the oldest planned towns o3 minutes walk
Fortica FortressA fortress on a hill about **90 metres** above Hvar Town, known locally as **Špa4 minutes walk4.7
Franciscan MonasteryA fifteenth-century monastery on the water''s edge south-east of the town, its p6 minutes walk4.6**Hvar** is the best known and the liveliest: a beautiful historic town, loud nightlife, the dearest of the three, and the best swimming by way of the Pakleni Islands. **Brač** is closest to Split and the easiest to reach, and holds **Zlatni Rat**, Croatia''s most famous beach — the right choice for a family wanting a sand-and-pebble beach at moderate prices. **Korčula** is the quietest and most historic: a complete walled town like a small Dubrovnik, good vineyards, and far less crowded — the best choice for a calm stay. ⚠ All three are reached by ferry from **Split**, but Korčula is further (about 3 hours) with fewer sailings.