Renovation of the Gabrielis Palace
The renovation of the Gabrielis Palace has enabled both the contemporary display of museum collections and the presentation of the architectural development of the building – a cultural asset of the Republic of Croatia. The new permanent museum exhibition at the Korčula Town Museum has advanced the museological presentation of the tangible and intangible cultural heritage of the town and island of Korčula.
The archaeological and natural-history collections are in the basement – the former cistern. The visible living rock testimony of the organic growth of the town of Korčula. It is presented as the seabed on which underwater archaeological finds are exhibited. Through video presentation we learn about the origin of the island of Korčula and the Pelješac Channel, used for navigation since the earliest of times, and also a trade route. The natural-history collection consists of floral fossils and fossils of fish from the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era, 65 million years old. The jaw of a rhinoceros, stephanorhinus hemitoechus, from the period of the Middle to Upper Pleistocene, 500 to 40 thousand years BC, features in the natural-history collection, which is ennobled by a contemporary composition of Silvije Foretić: Rhinoceros.
The Archaeological Collection
The Archaeological Collection contains finds from prehistoric times to late antiquity and early Christianity. There are flint knives and ceramic vessels from the localities of Badija and Vela Spila. The imported Greek vessels of the 3rd century BC were found in the graves of a cemetery in Lumbarda. A lekythos with a relief depiction of a mythological theme stands out.
In the northern exhibition room on the ground floor, there is a copy of the Lumbarda Psephism and photographs of fragments of the psephism found during recent archaeological research. Stone inscriptions from antiquity to the 18th century, and the coats of arms of Korčula, testify to the historical events of that time. The 11th-century reliefs embellished with interlace originate from Žrnovo and Korčula. The fragment of an altar partition is the oldest building remnant on Korčula.
In the corridor
Historical events important to the town and island of Korčula, from the 4th century BC to the end of the 20th century in cronical order are highlights by the stairs in the corridor. Spaces within the museum are enriched with statues – Fisherman by Trpimir Ivančević, and Peasant Woman and Stonemason by Ivan Jurjević – with motifs of typical island occupations.
"Stone coats of arms and inscriptions"
Replica of Lumbarda Psephism
Lumbarda Psephism and photographs of fragments of the psephism found during recent archaeological research. Stone inscriptions from antiquity to the 18th century, and the coats of arms of Korčula, testify to the historical events of that time. The 11th-century reliefs embellished with interlace originate from Žrnovo and Korčula. The fragment of an altar partition is the oldest building remnant on Korčula. The 1358 inscription from the Croatian-Hungarian Kingdom is a rare preserved testimony of that historical period. On the coat of arms of Korčula of 1717 there are the symbols of the town: the towers and St Mark. A model of the island shows settlements and nearby islands. They play a prominent role in the functioning of the island as a whole .The town of Korčula is built on a peninsula that juts into the Pelješac Channel.
Stonemasonry on Korčula
On the ceiling of the southern room of the ground floor there are beams with 16th-century paintwork, rarely preserved in Korčula. The stone and stonemasonry crafts had been presented on this area from antiquity to the 20th century when stagnated. This is represented by blocks of stone from the island's quarries, tool used for hauling stone blocks, tools used stone carving, a stone pot for olive oil. Gothic-Renaissance capitals and coats of arms are exhibited, as well as works by Korčulans artists. The pieces by contemporary sculptors are a continuation of artistic expression. On screens there are video presentations of protected natural areas on the island of Korčula, the urbanism of Korčula, and motifs of the town in photographs and postcards, works of Korčulans photographers up to the 1980s.
The town and island of Korčula Statute passed in 1214.
The northern exhibition room on the first floor presents the history of Korčula in the Middle Ages. The events of that time determinated Korčula history in coming centuries – the town and island of Korčula Statute passed in 1214., the founding of Korčula diocese in 1300. and a founding of the Confraternity of All Saints. The Statute of the Town and Island of Korčula is represented by a copy of Chapters 8 and 9 on a page of the redacted Korčula statute of the 16th century, which is kept in the Kapor family collection, and through video presentation. On the wax seal of the Korčula commune of the 16th century there are St Mark and the towers. Throughout history, Korčula has been important to numerous conquerors due to its geopolitical position. The battle between the Ottomans and the Korčulans is shown in a photograph of the fresco in the church of St Nicholas, in Mola di Bari, associated with a copy of a drawing of Korčula from 1570. A model of the old town core of Korčula shows the urban development of the town dating back to the Middle Ages. The most significant buildings are illuminated. It is supplemented by an urbanistic display and a cadastral plan from the 19th century.
The shipbuilding past of Korčula
Korčula abounds in coats of arms of the state and the town, its nobles, bishops, and artisans, as well as rectors, doges and proveditors. The museum exhibits the coats of arms of blacksmiths and stonemasons from the 17th century. Marko Andrijić is the most significant of Korčula’s sculptors and builders. The Andrijić family is represented by the crown of a well, with the family coat of arms and the coats of arms of Rectors Capello and Viaro of the 15th century, works by Marko Andrijić. The Kanavelić Gothic coat of arms of the 15th century is the oldest among the coats of arms in the museum’s possession.
In the southern room on the first floor, there are historical drawings and cartographic representations of the town and island of Korčula from the 15th to the 19th century. They are documents of the urban, architectural, and economic development of the city. On the drawing of Korčula by Giovanni Francesco Camutti of 1572, the shipyards are pictured for the first time, and the importance of women in the historic battle of 1571 between the Ottomans and Korčulan is highlighted. Video presentations on the screens present facts relating to shipbuilding and stonemasonry. Besides stone-carving and stonemasonry, Korčula has inherited a rich shipbuilding tradition. Korčula’s shipbuilding past is presented through models of ships, with tools and accessories. A 1978 model of Vicko Sessa's shipyard shows the old shipyard in detail. It was located on the coastal strip alongside the passage connecting the old town centre and the western suburb. Maritime history is illustrated by watercolours of sailing ships on which Korčulans sailed, nautical charts and navigational instruments, and a sailor's travelling basket.
Artistic history of Korčula from the 17th to the 20th century
The cultural and artistic history of Korčula from the 17th to the 20th century is represented in the east hall of second floor. Everyday objects used by upper-class families displayed in the representative part of the palace reflect the spirit of the space s palace former purpose. Late-Baroque ornamental paintwork is presented on the walls of the former salon. The 17th-century door bronze knocker by Tiziano Aspetti was a gift from the Republic of Venice to one of the distinguished members of the Arneri family, the captain of a Venetian galley on the seas of the Levant. The historic piano of the Boschi family from 1819 is one of the rare examples of similar instruments of that period. It was played by Nannette Streicher-Stein, Beethoven's friend. It has been preserved in its original condition. The 19th-century musical archive of Ivan Boschi is presented through audio-visual presentation. Besides the 19th-century salon of the Boschi family, there are outstanding items of furniture, including the ajoured part of a 16th-century chest, a late-Baroque chest of drawers, a wooden chest of the Adriatic type, a card table and a carved stand – stillo grote – the work of sculptor Marin Radizza. Exhibited alongside portraits of citizens from the Andrijić, Boschi and Zaffron families are paintings, from the 18th and 19th centuries, of sacred motifs. They were created in Venetian studios, and the following stand out: The Death of St Joseph, with a depiction of a carpentry workshop of the time, The Judgement of Solomon, and The Wedding of Joachim and Anna. Portraits by Ferdinand Giustinćić of 1905 portray the renowned Korčulans, Jakov Baničević and Petar Kanavelić. The portrait miniatures on ivory of the Boschi family are the work of Korčulan artist Josip Zmajić in the first half of the 19th century. A silk mantle of 1615 from the Arneri-Hektorović family is a precious example of a secular textile probably made in Dalmatia. The motifs of plants and animals were embroidered with gold embroider. The children's toys from the 19th century belonged to the Fabris-Zannon family, as well as a silk wedding dress, a mourning parasol, and a fan. Ranking among the more valuable objects in the museum are the carved tin plates, from the 16th century, of the Benussi family.
Moreška and kumpanija sword dances, protected intangible cultural assets of the Republic of Croatia, are presented through displayed photographs and swords.
Art collections of the City Museum
In the northern room of the second floor there are works by contemporary artists. The visual presentation conveys important historical events in Korčula of the 19th and 20th centuries. Petar Šegedin is represented by his first contemporary Croatian novel, Children of God, of 1946. The preface to The Monograph of Frano Kršinić of 1968 connects the prominent 20th-century Croatian artists. The exhibited works of Frano Kršinić, Ivo Lozica, Izvor Oreb and Radoslav Duhović show the interweaving of strong artistic personalities in the teacher-student relationship. The artists later collaborated professionally, and their life paths are connected. The portraits of Frano Kršinić by Ivo Lozica and Izvor Oreb indicate the artist's strong influence on various generations of creators. Mihovil Pansini – a ‘film poet’ – is represented by stills from the film Scuza Signorina of 1963, and the architect and designer, Bernardo Bernardi, by a chair of his design. Jakov Peručić, Niko Sessa and Marin Božić are professional photographers whose works have outstanding technical and aesthetic features.
Works by Stipe Nobilo, Nikola Skokandić and Toma Geričić have been selected from the Fine Art Collection of the Town Museum. International artistic creation is represented by a Richard Ziegler painting: Adam and Eve in Paradise, of 1935. Petar Šegedin, Richard Ziegler and Frano Kršinić are represented by visual presentation on the screens.
Traditional Kitchen
In Dalmatian houses, kitchens were traditionally located in the attic, for ventilation and light, and due to the wooden floor structures. The palace attic houses the original kitchen with a fireplace- hearth, furnished with kitchen furniture, crockery, and cutlery. Along with other of intangible culture, it stands for typical island diet, which is a part of the Mediterranean diet highly valued today and confirmed by its position on the UNESCOS’ s Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It was prepared in the manner as it is presented on the screen. Audio content – recordings of accordion performances, melodies sung by klapa Moreška of Korčula, and stories of the life of Ljudmila Oreb, née Jeričević, lead us into Korčula's past. A kitchen sink (škafa) and a toilet are built into the wall. The kitchen was used for its original purpose until the 1930s, and the objects used daily became museum items. Badnjak, made of oak and decorated with three branches of laurel, among which three doughnut- prikle are placed on Christmas Eve were made by the shipbuilders of Korčula.
Carols and songs that are sung throughout the year represent the intangible heritage of Korčula.
Experience the cultural and economic past of Korčula
The religious, cultural, and social life of the town, from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, is presented on the third floor. Prominent here are a flag of the town of Korčula of 1901 and photographs of cultural-educational societies and the Brotherhood of All Saints taken in the 1950s. Korčulan brotherhoods and moreška – a sword dance with elements of drama – inspired the prominent Croatian photographer, Marija Braut.
Among the crafts that marked Korčula in the past, but disappeared over time, such as shipbuilding, stonemasonry, blacksmithing was goldsmithing. Artur Marinović's goldsmith's workshop operated at the turn of the 20th century. The armchairs, designed by Bernardo Bernardi, are from the former inventory of the Hotel Liburna in Korčula. Today, visitors to the museum can sit on them.
Walking through the museum exhibition spaces, unique in this area, you can experience the cultural and economic past of Korčula from prehistory to the present day.
