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Lopud is island in the Elaphite archipelago with the settlement of the same name and a small port. The island is very good place for olives, vineyards, and tropic fruits. Lopud is the only settlement and has large beach. Stone houses are surrounded with gardens with palms, cypresses, orange-trees, and other sub-tropic vegetation. It used to be Greek settlement Delaphodia and Roman settlement Lafota. Since the 11th century it is the port of the Republic of Dubrovnik, and since 1457 the seat of principality. In the 15th century it was settled by refugees that fled before the Turks.
The inhabitants of Lopud very early chose the naval orientation and therefore with their ships were involved in many naval war expeditions. At the end of the 16th century, Lopud has two monasteries, 30 churches, and a large number of summer residences out of which only small number is still preserved. The oldest monuments on the island are the ruins of the small Pre-Romanesque churches of St. llija (the wall painting), St. Peter, St. Nikola, St. Mauro, and St. John (fragments of the wattle-work ornament). The cave Lopud was defended by two fortresses and at the entrance to the harbor is the church of St. Trinity from the 16th-17th century. In the monastery church of St. Mary of Špilica there are valuable paintings and carved choir benches from the 15th century. Beside the coast are the ruins of the summer residences of the ship owner Miho Pracat (1522-1607), of the bishop Nikola Brantić (the end of the 16th century), and of the renovated summer residence of the Đorđić family (later Mayneri), with beautiful park. |
