Maranovići: Local History and Cultural Landscape

Townscape and Cultural Landscape

If you are looking for a hotel in Maranovići, the defining features of the village can help you narrow down your choice of destination: traditional settlement characteristics, church and cultural history, and a landscape shaped by agriculture. Maranovići preserves traditional settlement characteristics of the area and is designated as a rural cultural landscape. The surrounding cultural landscape includes cultivated fields, olive groves, and vineyards; fertile fields and olive groves are characteristic of Maranovići itself. The relatively well-preserved appearance of the village is considered important to the character of the surrounding area. A bend in the D120 offers a view of Maranovići and the surrounding area. Below Maranovići, a cave is also designated as a particularly valuable natural site.

Church History in Maranovići

The parish church of Saint Anthony brings together two phases of construction. An earlier church of Saint Anthony was destroyed by pirates in 1725. The present parish church was completed in 1888 on the site of the older church, which had been completely demolished. Surviving Gothic elements in the present church point to the Gothic style of the earlier church. Associated with the church is a late Renaissance chalice made of gilded silver, dating from the 15th century and featuring a six-lobed foot.

Vrhmljeće and Its Church Ruins

The former settlement of Vrhmljeće lies on the hill above Maranovići. It is considered one of the oldest Slavic settlements on Mljet and was historically hidden from pirate attacks. The remains of the Church of Saint Mary of the Hill are located near the former settlement. The ruins include a Gothic window and a Romanesque portal; a cemetery with roughly hewn stone tombstones surrounds the church remains.

Put Maslina: A Historic Hiking Route

Put Maslina is a historic agricultural hiking route from Babino Polje to Maranovići. It passes olive groves and offers views of the outer part of Mljet and of Italy. The route also offers the opportunity to visit an oil mill and learn about olive oil production; confirm visiting arrangements locally. The Odysseus Cave can be reached via a short detour from the route. Knežev dvor and Sotnica are also located along Put Maslina. Knežev dvor is a 16th-century house that now houses an ethnographic collection; check in advance about access to the collection. At Sotnica, Benedictines exercised judicial authority until the end of the 15th century. Check route details and trail conditions before setting out.

On Mljet

On Mljet, the wider destination, are Veliko jezero and Malo jezero: two deep bays called lakes and connected to the open sea via the Solinski Channel. In the southern part of Veliko jezero is the island of Saint Mary, with a Benedictine monastery and the Church of Saint Mary. The monastery was built between 1177 and 1198; the central part of the church has retained its Romanesque style. Opening hours and boat connections may vary by season; check both in advance if you plan to visit these sites.

Discover more destinations: Mljet, Govedjari, Polace, Prožura, Okuklje, Sobra, Blato, Korita

Return to the wider travel overview: Mljet.