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
**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.
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