The first written mention of Lokrum was in
1023 when the Benedictine abbey and monastery were founded. The name Lokrum
comes from the Latin, 'acrumen', meaning sour fruit. This derives from the
tradition of cultivating exotic plants on the island, a tradition started in
the time of the Benedictines. The last Benedictines left the island in 1808.
Local legend says that on their last night, the monks put a curse on the island
and anyone who tried to seek it for their own in the future.
According to legend, Richard the Lionheart
was shipwrecked in 1192
