Culture of Jelsa

17th century painting within the church). The wooden statue of the Madonna on the main altar was brought here from the Sinj region on the mainland in 1539 by refugees. The statue is celebrated every year on St. Mary's Day (25 August — Gospa Stomorena).

Sv. Ivan (St. John) is a small, octagonal church dating from the 17th century. The beautiful Square and surrounding streets are the best preserved part of Renaissance-Baroque Jelsa, with houses from the 16th to 19th century. A few renaissance buildings have survived, as has the portal of Skrivanelli House (behind the church) with a coat-of-arms, the year MDLXI and the inscription: DOMINUS CHUSTODIAT INTROITUM TUM ET EXITUM TUM (May the Lord guard thy entrance and thy exit). Worth special mention is the house of Count Kačić Dimitri, with its massive facade, ornamented side door, and classical garden.

In the area of Mala Banda there is the Duboković-Nadalini house from the end of the 19th century, partly built in the 16th century. The house has some well-preserved antique furniture, an extensive library, the family archive, and a series of paintings and items of art.

Croatian Renaissance Square, otherwise known as the Pjaca, is right in the center of Jelsa, just off the waterfront. On the west side of the square there is a natural water spring, Slatina, which has been used by the local inhabitants since ancient times. In 1934, a fountain was built in the middle of the Square.

The public garden of Perivoj was created in 1870 by draining the marshy ground. The large poplars, pine and palm trees, acacias and oleanders, bay laurel and other Mediterranean plants add to the beauty of the park. The park contains a sculpture of Captain Nikola Duboković (1835–1912) by Ivan Rendić, and a sculpture of composer Antun Dobronić (1878–1955) by Slavomir Drinković.

Antun Dobronić