VISIT UNESCO PROTECTED SITE IN CISTA PROVO (DALMATIAN HIGHLANDS) WITH ME!

Hello readers! I'm taking you to a historical site, a small necropolis, that is located right next to the road in Cista Provo, Dalmatian Highlands. While most people think of the seaside when they think of Dalmatia, we're seeing a rise of interest in Dalmatian Highlands. It's a perfect place to escape the more crowdy or touristy places. Cista Provo is a small municipality in Croatia with only around two thousand inhabitants, but it has considerable touristic potential. We didn't explore it any further than these site for now, but some day we might. As for this Stećci site, we visited it many times. If you happen to visit Dalmatia, don't forget this site. You really can't miss it if you drive through this area and it's only a short drive from the sea. 

In this post, I'll show you something completely unique to the Mediterranean area I live in- and that is medieval gravestones or tombs known as Stećci. What are Stećci? These unique medieval gravestones protected by UNESCO can only be found in certain areas of these four countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. You cannot find them anywhere else in the world, and they are absolutely all one of a kind creations of Southern Slavic culture. To learn more, you're also welcome to visit Stećci official site. Of course I'll also talk you through this fascinating topic.

STEĆCI WERE IN USE FROM THE 12th to 16th CENTURY 

   Dating back to 12th to 16th century, Stećci were often carved from a single stone, a testament to the skills of their makers. Decorated with poetry and symbols, their cultural and artistic importance is immense. Stećci were made and used by different ethnicities and confessions in this area, so they are interconfessional. They are mostly linked to Catholic Christian and Orthodox Christian confessions, but were also used by the Church of Bosnia.  The Church of Bosnia was considered heretic both by the Catholic Christian and Orthodox Cristian church, and there are still many incorrect information about it, but I don't have the time in this post to go into details. For a while, Stećci were connected with the Church of Bosnia, but seeing they outlived it, it is now understood they were never used by a single religion. 

OLD READERS OF MY BLOG PERHAPS REMEMBER MY PREVIOUS VISITS TO MEDIEVAL NECROPOLAS IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

I visited different locations where Stećci can be found in Bosnia and Herzegovina such as National park Blidinje and Stolac. However, today I'm taking you to this specific location in Croatia. We stopped here during our drive to Croatia, where we had our unplanned vacation last week.  

LET ME TELL YOU A BIT MORE ABOUT THIS LOCATION CRVILJICA IN CROATIA THAT CONTAINS HUNDRENDS OF THESE MEDIEVAL TOMBS

This place is considered one of the top ten archeological sites in Croatia, but for some reason it is not as well known as some other ones. Crljivica contains several hundred unique medieval tombs known as stećci, but the oldest part of the site dates way before that. Years before these medieval tombstones had been built, there were the three early Bronze Age tombs related to the nearby prehistoric villages and forts. Moreover, there is ancient Roman  road built in the first century that is still in use. The carvings on the medival stones are in accordance with the tradition of Stećci.  You can LEARN MORE AT VISIT IMOTA SITE.

CRLJIVICA IS ONE OF THE TOP TEN CROATIAN ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES ! 

THE STORY OF MY OUTFIT - HOW I WORE IT BEFORE?

THE MINI DARK BLUE FLORAL DRESS- 21 WAYS TO STYLE HERE , 2 MORE WAYS TO STYLE HERE, 1 MORE WAY HERE AND WITH A BLAZER HERE AND WITH SNEAKERS HERE.

THE HAT (no name). Basically, this is my go to summer hat right now. I even swim with it. See how I wore it recently with a floral styling here.

THE SCARF- worn recently as a belt with this lovely mini Adriatic dress.

THE TROPICAL PRINT LEATHER SANDALS (brand Art) 

As I mentioned in one of my recent posts,  I've had this pair for years and I wear them all the time. The sandals are incredibly comfortable but (in my opinion), they don't have that ugly tourist sandal vibe going on. I mean technically they do have that orthopedical not exactly fashionable sandal shape, but something about the print makes them so cool.

1-30) In 2021, I published 30 WAYS TO WEAR A PAIR OF TROPICAL SANDALS. I love coming back to this visual guide for more inspiration on styling this versatile pair. 

31) I wore them with a white dress and a big straw hat for a visit to Buna ten days ago. 

32)...with a dark pattern pencil skirt and a yellow tip (plus the big hat of course) in 2021.

33-35 ) with two different outfits (maxi green dress and a blue midi dress) in 2023.

36-37) worn two different outfits ( with Ozz skirt and with denim skirt) in 2023.

38) with a green blazer, a floral skirt and a straw bag for a night outing in 2024.

39 ) with a yellow Adriatic dress and a long blue pareo in 2024.

CITED FROM UNESCO

Stećci Medieval Tombstone Graveyards

This serial property combines 28 sites, located in Bosnia and Herzegovina, western Serbia, western Montenegro and central and southern Croatia, representing these cemeteries and regionally distinctive medieval tombstones, or stećci. The cemeteries, which date from the 12th to 16th centuries CE, are laid out in rows, as was the common custom in Europe from the Middle Ages. The stećci are mostly carved from limestone. They feature a wide range of decorative motifs and inscriptions that represent iconographic continuities within medieval Europe as well as locally distinctive traditions.

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

The serial property of 28 component sites includes a selection of 4,000 medieval tombstones (stećci) on the territory of four states: Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Republic of Croatia, Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia. These monolithic stone tombstones (stećci) were created in the period from the second half of the 12th century to the 16th century, although they were most intensively made during the 14th and 15th centuries. 

The stećci are exceptional testimony to the spiritual, artistic and historical aspects of the medieval cultures of southeastern Europe, an area where traditions and influences of the European west, east and south entwined with earlier traditions. The stećci are notable for their inter-confessionality, used for burial by all three medieval Christian communities, including the Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church and the Church of Bosnia (which lasted for about three centuries until the second half of the 15th century). 

The characteristics that distinguish stećci from the overall corpus of Europe’s medieval heritage and sepulchral art, include the vast number of preserved monuments (over 70,000 located within over 3,300 sites), the diversity of forms and motifs, the richness of reliefs, epigraphy and the richness of the intangible cultural heritage. The selected components represent a range of graveyard scales and settings.

CITED FROM UNESCO

Criterion (iii): A remarkable number of stećci, of diversified form, are found in this part of southeast Europe, conveying an exceptional testimony to medieval European artistic and archaeological heritage, with traces of earlier influences (prehistoric, roman and early medieval). The extremely large number of preserved stećci (estimated to be more than 70,000) and variety of their forms (slabs, chests, gabled roof tombstones, pillars and monumental crosses) are well represented. Their reliefs, including decorative, symbolic, and religious motives as well as scenes from everyday life, are an extraordinary testimony of medieval culture. Inscriptions in the selected graveyards offer an exceptional historical resource, and are associated with the cultures and histories of the medieval states in this region.  

Criterion (vi): The stećci have been deeply embedded in historical and continual cultural traditions and beliefs and toponyms demonstrate the historical meanings and significance of the stećci. The stećci are associated with local folk and fairy tales, superstitions and customs; and their epigraphy and reliefs have significantly influenced the contemporary literature and other forms of art in all four countries, but also wider in the region.

Integrity

The integrity of the serial property is based on the ability of the selected 28 components to represent the widespread phenomena, importance and diversity of the stećci in southeast Europe. Each of the components has been conserved in situ. The state of conservation of the burial grounds and tombstones is generally stable, and each of the components are relatively well preserved. Their conditions could be improved through maintenance and active management to prevent natural processes of deterioration. The tombstones are not currently affected by development pressures. The boundaries of the components include the attributes necessary to express the Outstanding Universal Value of the serial property. Some of the buffer zones were revised during the evaluation process to better incorporate and preserve the important characteristics of the settings in which the burial grounds are located.

Authenticity

The authenticity of the serial property is established through the graveyards, tombstones (stećci) and associated sepulchral art of the medieval period. The stećci demonstrate the merging of religions, chivalry and folk cultures of this period. The authenticity of the selected components is demonstrated by the archaeological and historical contexts and evidence, the diversity of types of tombstones, and the widespread occurrence of this phenomenon in this part of southeast Europe. The authenticity of the sites was one of the bases on which the selection of components was made. The stećci were carved from single stone which reflected the skills and knowledge of the master craftsmen. Decorations and inscriptions testify original aspects of the emergence and study of stećci.

CITED FROM UNESCO

Protection and management requirements

Legal protection of the 28 sites with stećci is ensured by the legislation applicable in the participating States Parties. Although the legal and administrative systems for the protection and management of cultural heritage differ, the highest level of protection in each of the States Parties has been provided for the graveyards and tombstones. Transnational coordination is established through the International Coordination Committee and through the implementation of common strategies, principles and standards. Each State Party is responsible for the protection, conservation and management of necropolises with stećci tombstones that are on its territory.

Common management plan documents have been prepared for each inscribed component by the four States Parties. These documents ensure the management of each component of the serial property according to an agreed approach and a common vision, uniform conservation standards, shared management principles and shared presentation objectives. Each of the four States Parties has appointed a coordinator, and together they form the International Coordination Body responsible for the development of the joint management of the serial transnational property.

Inventorying and research about the stećci have been a focus since the 1970s and is ongoing. There is a need to continue to improve the mapping and cataloguing of the inscribed components in line with the management system. The inscribed components are generally in a stable state of conservation, with minimal interventions. The main pressures are natural processes of physical deterioration, and condition assessments have been incorporated into the site management plans. Continued development and implementation of active conservation programmes based on the advice of expert conservators is required. Community involvement in the management and maintenance of the stećci is evident and active.

There is a need to integrate Heritage Impact Assessments and Disaster Risk Management approaches and mechanisms into the management system, in order to ensure that future proposals, programs or projects are assessed in relation to their potential impact on the Outstanding Universal Value of the serial property.

Visitor pressure is not a current threat. Visitor management is currently planned and implemented at the site level. Presentation and interpretation are approached by promoting the designated sites and other tourist destinations. The management plans outline current and planned tourism infrastructure for each of the components. The monitoring indicators could be augmented by additional measures related to levels of visitation.

CITED FROM STEČCI SITE THAT FOCUSES MORE ON STEĆCI IN BIH

Stećci are medieval monolithic tombstones found on the territory of almost entire Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the western parts of Serbia and Montenegro and in central and southern parts of Croatia. The zone of outspread of stećci is limited to the north by the Sava River, the Adriatic coast to the south, Lika in Croatia to the west while the eastern boundary of their outspread reaches deep into western Serbia.

There are around 70 000 registered tombstones at about 3 300 sites on the territory of the mentioned states. However, since the inscription of stećci on the World Heritage List in 2016, we know that there may be a larger number of these monuments and sites.

It is assumed stećci first appeared in the second half of the 12th century and they were most intensively hewed in the 14th and 15th century, before gradually ceasing to be made in the 16th century. Certain forms (slabs, crosses) and decorative motives were being created for a much longer period, but it was no longer the classic “art of stećci.”

There are several names that were used in parallel to denote the tombstones (stećci), which shows a close bond of folk life with the tradition of stećci. The first type are expressions that rely on authentic historical sources – mostly inscriptions on stećci: bilig (mark), kâm (stone), zlamen (sign), kuća (house) and vječni dom (eternal abode). The popular names that took root among people include Mramorje, Mramori (marble blocks), Grčko groblje (Greek cemetery), Kaursko groblje (giaour cemetery), Divsko groblje (giants’ cemetery) and Mašet or Mašete – (big stones). Today’s name stećak first appeared in mid-19th century and is derived from the verb ‘standing’.

ARE YOU A LOVER OF HISTORY? 

HISTORICAL FORTRESSES I ENJOYED SEEING AND DEEM WORTH VISITING

FORTIZA ON ISLAND HVAR (CROATIA)

VRBOSKA, A FORTRESS CHURCH  (CROATIA)

ŠIBENIK FORTRESS (CROATIA)

STON FORTRESS (CROATIA)

BLAGAJ (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA)

STOLAC (BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA)

MONTECASSINO (ITALY)

Anyway, that's all for today. Thank you for visiting. Have a great weekend!