Vrbanj

At first glance it seems paradoxical that the by now 600 inhabitants of Vrbanj live in the largest place on the island by area, yet that their houses stand as tightly nestled against one another as possible on the plain in the island's interior. Yet anyone who knows that Vrbanj was named after the Croatian word for "pasture" - that the land here was thus divided up among shepherds with sometimes very large flocks and a corresponding need for space - and that on the other hand pirates threatened the tranquil little nest in the 16th and 17th centuries, and that the house complexes provided with loopholes served safety, can read the history of the place off this apparent contradiction. A further indication of the historical events is the chapel of Sveti Nikola, enthroned on the highest summit, four hours' walk from Vrbanj and visible from afar. It was erected by the shipowner and politician Matija Ivanic, who lived here.