Pelješac (Chakavian: Pelišac, Italian: Sabioncello) is a peninsula in southern Dalmatia, Croatia in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County. It is the second largest peninsula in Croatia. From the isthmus that begins at Ston, to the top of Cape Lovišta, it is 65 km long. The name 'Pelješac' is most likely derived from the name of a hill above town of Orebić, which is Pelisac. This is a relatively new name for the peninsula. Throughout history other names have been used such as Stonski Rat, Puncta Stagni, Ponta di Stagno and Sabioncello. The main town of Peljesac is Ston which has large fortifications, built by the Republic of Ragusa (Dubrovnik). They are the second longest walls in Europe and perhaps one of the oldest salt planes in this part of the world.
The Strait of Pelješac is located at its other end, and it divides the peninsula from the island of Korčula.
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Municipalities
Administratively the peninsula is divided into the municipalities of:
- Orebić in the western part, with 4,165 inhabitants (2001)
- Trpanj in the northwest, with 871 people
- Janjina in the center, 593 people
- Ston in the east, with 2,605 residents
History
The earliest known historic records of Peljesac are from ancient Greece.The area became part of the Roman province of Dalmatia after the Illyrian Wars (220 BC to 219 BC.). Roman migration soon followed. In the 6th century Peljesac came under Byzantine rule.
The Great Migrations of the 6th and 7th centuries, brought the Avar and Slavic invasions into this region. As the barbarians began settling on the coast, the Romanised local coastal population had to take refuge on the islands. Along the Dalmatian coast the Croatian Slavic peoples migrations poured in from the interior and seized control of the area where the Neretva River enters the Adriatic. The Croatians settled on the peninsula.
In 1333 the Republic of Ragusa bought Peljesac from the Serbian Kingdom of Tsar Dušan. The French Empire occupied the region in 1806, abolishing the old Republic, and in 1808 turned it into the Illyrian Provinces. In 1815 it was given to the Austrian Empire and since 1867 became part of the Cisleithania of the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Between 1918 and 1991 it was a part of Yugoslavia.
Bridge
An additional connection between Pelješac and the mainland is planned to be created through the proposal of the Pelješac Bridge. Once completed, this bridge would physically connect all of Croatia, which is now interrupted by the strip of land belonging to Bosnia and Herzegovina at Neum. The land mass that cuts Dalmatia, Croatia in two, in order granting Bosnia sea access. The start of construction has been continuously delayed until shipping rights and boundaries can be properly defined between the two countries.
See also
External links
- Orebić tourist board
- Orebić & Pelješac-Info
- Pelješac information site
- Pelješac Travel
- Pelješac Tourist
- Peljesac Travel Guide
- Peljesac Diving center
- Info on Duba Stonska, place on Pelješac
- Peljesac and Loviste infosite
Coordinates: 42°54′N 17°27′E / 42.9°N 17.45°E
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