THE PELJESAC PENINSULA

From the crossroads near the Kuta Bay on the Adriatic Highway the Peljesac road leads westwards and then, after several kilometres, turns to the right through olive-groves. On the right is the view to the Mali Ston Channel and in front the view to Mali Ston. The hamlet on the right is Zamaslina. In the Kuta Bay there are devices for cultivation of oysters and mussels. In small inns at the coast local specialities (mussels, oysters, dried ham “Prsut” and cheese) can be found.

The road leads through rocks and again Mali Ston with its defence walls is in sight. Half-way to the top of the hill are the old bulwarks of Ston.

PELJESAC, peninsula in southern Dalmatia, between the Neretva Channel (Neretvanski kanal) and the Mali Ston Channel (Kanal Malog Stona) "little sea" in the northeast and the Peljesac Channel (Peljeski kanal) and Mljet Channel (Mljetski kanal) "big sea” in the southwest. After Istria the largest peninsula of the Croatian coast. From the isthmus at Ston to Loviste promontory in the northwest the penin­sula is 65 km in length. Limestone ridges extending along the coast enclose between them the wine produc­ing region Zupa in the centre of the peninsula (Kuna, Potomje, Zupanje Selo, Pijavicino, Janjina). The highest point is Sveti Ilija (961 m). The northeast coast of the peninsula, which is exposed to north­-easterly winds (bura), is colder and drier than the southwest coast, which owes its warmer and more humid climate to the southerly winds. The northern districts are under pine-woods and scrub while the southwest regions produce even oranges. The villages are mostly in the centre of the peninsula. The inhabi­tants are mainly engaged in wine growing (famous "Dingac" wine, “Plavac” and “Postup” and “Prosek” the so-called "baked wine"; wine cellars at Potomje and Ston), livestock rearing and fishing.

Since the beginning of the 19th century jackals live on the peninsula, and since 1922 also ichneumon imported from the island of Mljet. Important industries are production of salt (the Ston salt works) and cultivation of oyster beds. The area between Viganj and Orebic on, the south coast of the peninsula is the most beautiful art of Peljesac. A road running the length of the peninsula ("Transversal of Peljesac") links its settlements with Dubrovnik; ferries Orebic - Korcula and Trpanj - Ploce.

In prehistoric times the peninsula was inhabited by Illyrians (grave-mounds and remains of a stone work above the village of Podlastica near Orebic, minor finds from Kuciste, the Janjina area and the Ston isthmus). Greek coins excavated at Viganj and fragments of Greek pottery offer evidence of the presence of Greek colonists. Finds from Roman times are more numerous (Orchid, Viganj, Sutvid Cove, Lovisce, Trpanj, Zuljana, Ston, Sreser and the Janjina area). Pliny the Elder called Peljesac Rhatanae Chersonsus (from which the mediaeval names Art, Rat, Stonski rat were derived), the settlement which stood on the site on present-day Ston was called Pardua (Stamnes). After the fall of the Western Empire PeIjesac changed hands several times and was in turn a possession of Byzantium, of Slavs from the Neretva valley (about the 9th c.), of the rules of Zahumlje, and finally of the Dubrovnik Republic (1333-1808). - Traces from the Early Christian and the pre-Romanesque periods can be seen at Ston (the churches of St. Martin, St. Peter, Our Lady [Gospa od Luzina], St. Magdalene [Sveta Mandalje­na], St. Michael [Sveti Mihajlo], with mural paintings), at Janjina (St. George [Sveti Juraj]) and at Ponikve. From the la­te Middle Ages date the mediaeval tombstones (stecci) at Ston, Osobljava, Tomislavovac and Potomje and the Gothic Franciscan monasteries at Stan and Orebic, while the fortifications of Ston which are among the oldest for­tresses in coastal regi­ons, were erected bet­ween 1333 and 1613. The economic prosperity of Peljesac from the 17th c. onwards was linked with the development of the local shipping industry. This prosperity was also reflected in considerable building activity, especially on the south coast of peninsula (houses of sea captains and baroque churches in Orebic, Viganj and Kuiciste). - Pe­ljesac is under French rule from 1808-14, and the Bri­tains hold the south coast (Zagorje) and Ston, from 1813-14. Since 1814 it is under the Austrian rule. Peljesac played an important role during the National Liberation War in Dalmatia.