Cavtat (, ) is a village in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. It is on the Adriatic Sea coast south of Dubrovnik and is the center and main settlement of Konavle municipality.
History
Antiquity
The original city was founded by Greek settlers from Corinth in the 6th century BC under the name of Epidaurus (or Epidauros, ).Aulus Hirtius, De Bello Alexandrino XIVAustria: Her People & Their Homelands by James Baker,""... dates back to the sixth century BC., when the Greeks founded here Epidaurus" The surrounding area was inhabited by the Illyrians, who called the city Zaptal.Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography: Abacaenum-Hytanis. 1854 by Sir William Smith
The town changed its name to Epidaurum when it came under Roman rule in 228 BC. Justinian I the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire sent his fleet to Cavtat during the Gothic War (535–554)Ostrogoths were at war with Byzantine Empire in the 6th century. and occupied the town.
The city was sacked and destroyed by the Avars and Slavs in the 7th century.Researches on the Danube and the Adriatic by Andrew Archibald Paton (1861). Contributions to the Modern History of Hungary and Transylvania, Dalmatia and Croatia, Servia and Bulgaria- page 247 Refugees from Epidaurum fled to the nearby island, Laus (Ragusa), which over time evolved into the city of Dubrovnik.Dalmatia and Montenegro by Sir John Gardner Wilkinson
Middle Ages The town was re-established in the Middle Ages ().Notizie Istorico-Critiche Sulla Antichita, Storia, e Letteratura de' Ragusei (published in two vols) by Francesco Maria Appendini.The Biographical Dictionary of the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge Volume 3, Part 1. 1843. Great Britain After a short while it came under the control of its powerful neighbor, the Republic of Ragusa.
The modern Croatian name for the city reveals its ancient origins and its link with Dubrovnik. Cavtat is derived from , which means old city in Latin Language.
Recent On 13 May 2021, a waterspout of intensity IF0 made landfall just south of Cavtat.
Economy
Today, Cavtat is a popular tourist destination with many hotels and private households that rent rooms and apartments. The seafront is filled with shops and restaurants. There are several beaches in Cavtat and its surroundings, among them Pasjača, as well as Ključice, Obod, Rat and Žal. A ferry boat connects the town to neighbouring Mlini and Dubrovnik. There are often many private luxury ships and yachts along the strand.
It was named most popular honeymoon destination in Europe for 2023 by European Best Destinations.
Culture
The town cemetery on the hill contains a mausoleum belonging to the Račić family and decorated by the sculptor Ivan Meštrović.
In year 2004 Cavtat got the title European Competition for Towns and Villages in Blooms, especially for the well-tended green areas and flower arrangements on the beach promenade.Bronze plaque on the promenade, photographed in June 2017.
The Epidaurus Festival of Music has been held annually in Cavtat since 2007.
Notable people
Vlaho Bukovac (1855–1922), painter Tino Pattiera (1890–1966), opera singer Luko Zore (1846–1906), philologist and Slavist Frano Supilo (1870–1917), politician Baltazar Bogišić (1834–1908), jurist, law historian and ethnologist Niko Koprivica (1889–1944), politician Dinko Zlatarić (1558–1613), poet and translator Raimondo Cunich (1719–1794), humanist Ljudevit Vuličević (1839–1916), Serbian writer and patriot
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Cavtat is twinned with: Bochnia, Poland Watsonville, California, USA
See also Croatia Dubrovnik Dalmatia Republic of Ragusa Epidaurus
Gallery
References Notes
External links
Cavtat Info, Villa Vidak: Cavtat Information Cavtatportal.com, Up to date news from Cavtat and vicinity