CROATIA 461the island is covered in
subtropical undergrowth
and maritime pines. The
churches of St Anthony
and St Nicholas have pre-
Romanesque origins, while
the Parish Church dates
from the 15th century.
Lopud, covering 4.6 sq km
(1.7 sq miles), has a fertile
valley sheltered from the
cold winds by two ranges
of hills. Most of the inhab-
itants live in the village of
Lopud, strung around a
wide, curving bay. The
Franciscan Monastery dates
from 1483. The monas tery
church, St Mary of the Rocks
(sv Marija od Špilica), con-
tains several works of art
including a polyptych (1520)
by Pietro di Giovanni, trip -
tychs by Nikola Božidarević
and by Girolamo di Santac-
roce depicting the Virgin and
Child and a carved choir from
the 15th century.
In the southeast of the
island, Šunj draws visitors
to its sandy beach, but its
church is also worth visiting
for many intriguing works
of art, including a painting
by Venetian artist Palma il
Giovane and a polyptych by
Matej Junčić.
The largest of the
Elaphite Isles, Šipan, cover-
ing 15 sq km (6 sq miles),
has just two settle ments,
Šipanska Luka and Suđurađ.
Šipanska Luka has the pre-
Romanesque Church of
St Michael and the ruins of
a Benedictine monas tery,
while the village of Suđurađ
has the ruins of a bishop’s
palace and a castle.
Cavtat 3
20 km (12 miles) S of Dubrovnik
* 1,900. @ from Dubrovnik.
4 n Tiha 3, (020) 479 025.
_ Summer in Cavtat, Gospa
od Cavtata (5 Aug).
http://www.tzcavtat-konavle.hrThe pretty coastal town of
Cavtat is the Croatian name
for Civitas Vetus, the site of
the ancient Roman town of
Epidaurum, destroyed in
the 7th century by the Avars.
Occasional excavations have
revealed the remains of a
theatre, several tombs and
also parts of a road. The
present-day village attracts
visitors for the beauty of the
area, its beaches, luxuriant
vegetation and interestingmonuments. Much of Cavtat’s
charm is encapsulated in the
Old Town located behind the
waterfront. The 16th-century
Count’s Palace houses the
impressive Baltazar Bogišić
collection. It was assembled
and donated by Bogišić
(1834–1908), a cultural activist
and jurist of the 19th century
who spent a lifetime promot-
ing literature and learning.
Several books from Bogišić’s
collection are dis played here.
The works of well-known
painter Vlaho Bukovac (1855–
1922) are also displayed inside
the palace, including his
depic tion of the local carnival
celebra tions in 1901.
At the end of the seafront
stand the Church of St Blaise
(sv Vlaho) and a Franciscan
monastery, both dating from
the end of the 15th century.
On the hilltop is the Račić
Mausoleum, built by Ivan
Meštrović (see p491) for a
local ship-owning family in- The Byzantine-inspired
domed structure is decorated
with Greek angels and ornate
gargoyles. Eagles and Neo-
Assyrian winged lambs adorn
the elaborate cupola.
A pair of fine shingle and
sandy beaches lie about 1 km
(0.6 miles) east of the town
centre in an area known as
Žal, literally meaning “beach”.
Visitors throng the beaches in
spring and summer.
Aerial view of Šipan, the largest of the Elaphite Isles
A panoramic view of the seafront and port of Cavtat