Bol history

HISTORY

Brac was inhabited by people in the prehistoric ages, probably in Mesolithic, and certainly in Neolithic, at the end of the third millennium BC. The people were pre-Indo-Europeans Illyrian population and in the second millennium they inhabited the island. By the end of the 8th or the beginning of the 9th century the Croats from the river Neretva came to this region so they threw out the Illyrian population

Through its long history Brac and Bol were attacked and controlled by other nations like Byzantine reign, Venetians, Hungarians, pirates from Omis, Russians, French, and British and so on. After the fall of Napoleon, Brac was again under Austrian government, on July 7, 1814. In 1823 year, Brac was divided in 7 districts; one of them was the district of Bol. Later on they had a long and difficult fight for the use of Croatian language, and for the unification with Croatia.

VITICULTURE

Viticulture started to grow with the phenomenon of vine pest in the west, at the beginning of the 20th century. The increase the number of wine growing forced people of Bol to start clearing olive-groves (land) for the vineyards. But that did not last long, because in 1894 the vine pest came in this region and the consequences were fatal, because there was high number of emigrants.

OLIVE GROWING

The people of Bol cleared olive groves (land) for the vineyards, so that this branch of the agriculture was not important in the last two hundred years. In the near by past the olive growing started to advance, many new olive trees were planted, and the old olive groves were revived.

FISHING TRADE

Bol was the most developed fishing town on the island together with Milna. One third of the population of Bol lived because of fishing. Before the Second World War there were 13 groups that in summer period went fishing together for the oily fish. During the season, they would catch more than 200 tons of oily fish that was later sent to be salted. Nowadays nobody makes a living onley by fishing. Fishing trade is mainly a hobby occupation.

SEAFARING

Brac was the third seafaring place on the Croatian part of the Adriatic at that time - 18th century (with Boka and Losinj), and on the island the most famous centre was Bol. In 17th century, Bol had 15 patented boats, but Split had none such boat and by the end of the 17th century Bol had its own shipyard.