Retro Thursday

Shipbuilding in Korčula - early 1900s 💛

Korcula’s long shipbuilding tradition dates probably since pirates times, when the most of the activities actually were about and around the sea.

The first official document about woodcraft in Korcula is The Statute of the City and Island of Korcula from 1214 , one of the oldest legal documents in this part of Europe. Historical documents from 14th century onwards are also pointing on shipbuilding as a Korcula’s important industry.

Shipbuilders were called ‘kalafati’ and ‘maranguni’ – terms for woodworkers and craftsmen’s that is still in use in local dialect. Those skilled craftsmen were well known around the world at the time when wooden boats and ships were popular.

They were working and teaching shipbuilding all around the Adriatic and Mediterranean, in places like Alexandria or Istanbul, as well as in North and South America.

📷* Gradski Muzej Korčula
Text by: korculainfo.com