The Omiš Town Museum was founded in 1986 and is located in a building adjacent to the Eastern Town Gate, at the very entrance to the Old Town.
The Omiš Town Museum was founded in 1986 and is located in a building adjacent to the Eastern Town Gate, at the very entrance to the Old Town. The museum’s permanent exhibition includes a collection of artifacts from the area’s abundant archaeological, cultural and historical heritage.
The archaeological material on display testifies to the continuity of settlement ever since the New Stone Age, to which the discovered ceramics and processed flint and bone tools belong.
Among archaeological sites where excavations have unearthed numerous movable artifacts or provided valuable knowledge for the reconstruction of life in certain historical periods, one should point out the Omiš fortifications, the Old Cemetery, the early Christian church complex on Brzet and the Church of St. Peter along with the Illyrian Seminary on Priko.
The first settlement on the territory of Omiš confirmed by historical sources, but also by movable archaeological finds, is the ancient Oneum, which emerged in the hamlet of Baučići, high up on the slopes of the Omiš Dinara Mountain. Archaeological findings and topography of the site point to the prehistoric role of the locality in which the hillfort centre of the Delmatae tribe of Onastini developed during the Iron Age. The site has not been systematically explored until today, but luxurious finds such as Emperor Tiberius’ marble head, the imperial inscriptions of Tiberius and Claudius, the numismatic finds and numerous everyday items discovered, testify to this being an important settlement of the ancient world. This is supported by fragmented inscriptions from a number of monumental objects written in classical Roman capitals, which indicate increased construction activity during the 1st century. Quite a rarity in our territories are also representative examples of church furniture found in the early Christian complex of St. Cyprian in Gata, dating back to the Justinian Era.
The exhibited cultural-historical material includes monuments of exceptional value from the medieval Principality of Poljica (so-called Poljica Republic), which preserved its independence throughout the turbulent centuries of the Middle Ages, until it was finally abolished in the early modern period by the French government of Dalmatia. The exhibited coats of arms of Venetian and Omiš noble families and stone artefacts from the Renaissance and Baroque periods testify to the status of Omiš in the early modern period. Some of the especially impressive monuments included in the collection are a stone grain measure pot and a 15th-century balustrade.
With the aim of creating a loyal and lasting museum audience, and as part of the museum’s educational activity we design creative programs and workshops intended for children of all ages. It is our aim to extend such programs to include senior citizens, who are often precious keepers and inexhaustible sources of local history, and especially of the town’s intangible cultural heritage.
The purpose and mission of the Omiš Town Museum revolves around its fundamental assignment: the systematic collection, processing, documentation, protection, preservation and presentation of the cultural legacy of material and spiritual heritage of the area belonging to the Town of Omiš. This at the same time defines the museum’s vision as being a bridge between the cultural heritage of Omiš, individuals and the public.
Just above the roofs of the old town, as a permanent reminder of the glorious pirate history, stands one of the most famous Omiš landmarks – the fortress of Mirabela.
Just above the roofs of the old town, as a permanent reminder of the glorious pirate history, stands one of the most famous Omiš landmarks – the fortress of Mirabela.
The old pirates of Omiš used Mirabela as a lookout over the Channel of Brač, so that rich merchant ships had no way of sailing along the coast of Omiš unnoticed. The fortress itself was built in the 13th century. But although over the centuries it had managed to resist all kinds of forces of man, not even Mirabela could measure up against the force of nature. During a heavy storm in 1988, the top of the fortress was struck by lightning and the medieval fort was almost completely destroyed. Luckily, dedicated restorers gathered and reused every last piece of stone in the long process of restoring the fortress back to its original form.
Mirabela stands today as one of the most popular landmarks of Omiš, attracting tourists with its accessibility and the one-of-a-kind view over the entire town offered from the top of the fortress. You can reach Mirabela by a set of stairs leading up to it directly from the main gate of the Parish Church of St Michael. An entrance fee is charged at the fort.
But money will be the last thing on your mind anyway once you catch sight of the red roofs of the old town and realize, on your way to the top, that you’re climbing up the same set of stairs the old pirates used to rush down to get to their fast Sagittae (arrow) boats after spotting a Venetian ship from the top of the fortress.
Contact:
T. 00 385 21 757 365
E-mail: vlastiti_pogon@omis.hr
If you are spending more than a day in Omiš, a short climb up to the Fortica fortress is something you should by no means miss. A well-marked path leading from the very centre of town will take even the ones not exactly in top form up to the fortress in less than an hour, and once there, you’ll be richly rewarded for your efforts by one of the most magnificent views in all of Dalmatia.
If you are spending more than a day in Omiš, a short climb up to the Fortica fortress is something you should by no means miss. A well-marked path leading from the very centre of town will take even the ones not exactly in top form up to the fortress in less than an hour, and once there, you’ll be richly rewarded for your efforts by one of the most magnificent views in all of Dalmatia.
Once you set foot onto the more than 500 years old fortress, you’ll understand in an instance why the medieval inhabitants of Omiš hauled the heavy stone blocks all the way up to the top of the mountain in the first place. The one-of-a-kind view over the islands of Brač, Hvar and Šolta, the Cetina canyon and a good portion of Poljica offered from the top of the fortress will prove itself as reason enough for such labour. Fortica was, in fact, primarily used as a lookout, and whatever direction the enemies approached from, the watch guards would be able to spot them early enough to warn the inhabitants of Omiš of the danger. This is why precisely the Fortica fortress is said to be one of the most important reasons for the town of Omiš remaining unconquered throughout its history.
Other than as a lookout, the medieval inhabitants of Omiš also used Fortica as a place of refuge. In case of imminent danger, the people of Omiš would flee their houses along the coast and seek refuge in Fortica, and there were even plans to send huge boulders crashing down onto the town from the mountain top if the enemies ever came too close.
There are several paths you can take up to the Fortica. The easiest and most frequently used path leads up from the Vangrad street in the Eastern part of town. After climbing up the curvy local road (Put Borka) for a couple of minutes you should see a sign marking the path to the Fortica on your left. From this point you have no more than 50 minutes of easy climbing along a well-marked forest path to reach your goal. An entrance fee is charged in summer months, but the symbolic price is well worth it. From the mountain top fortress, you will be able to enjoy a magnificent view of the Channel of Brač and the numerous Dalmatian islands spreading out before you, and if the weather serves you, you will even be able to spot the outlines of far-away Italy in the distance.
CONTACT:
PD IMBER (local mountaineering association) - https://www.facebook.com/planinarskodrustvo.omis
Walking through the numerous narrow alleyways of the old town, almost at every corner you’ll discover a quaint little square or a charming house. One of them is especially cherished by the locals and interesting to tourists. After all, there aren’t many houses in the world with an official name and let alone a name as peculiar as this one - "The House of a Happy Man".
Walking through the numerous narrow alleyways of the old town, almost at every corner you’ll discover a quaint little square or a charming house. One of them is especially cherished by the locals and interesting to tourists. After all, there aren’t many houses in the world with an official name and let alone a name as peculiar as this one - "The House of a Happy Man".
This beautiful Renaissance house got its name by a Latin inscription above the entrance that reads, in translation: "I thank thee, Lord, for having lived in this world" (GRATIAS AGO TIBI DNE QUIA FUI IN HOC MONDO). It is believed that it used to be the house of Ivan Primojević, a lawyer and the ambassador of Omiš commune in Venice.
Unfortunately, not much is known today about its original owner, but the house itself has luckily been well preserved over the centuries and today represents one of the most beautiful examples of classic Dalmatian architecture of the Venetian period.
"The House of a Happy Man" was originally built with the workshops and living room on the ground floor, sleeping quarters on the first floor and the kitchen on the top floor. Such an organization of the interior had baffled historians for a long time, until they finally figured out why medieval architects designed the interior in such a, seemingly, unpractical way.
The reason lay in the fact that many houses of the period suffered destruction by fire, and sources of fire are at home most commonly found in the kitchen. As houses with kitchens on lower floors were mostly turned into ashes in fires, the medieval inhabitants of Omiš realized with time that moving the kitchen up to higher floors would significantly reduce the possible damage caused by fires, which soon made this particular form of interior design a standard in Omiš.
"The House of a Happy Man" was one of the first ones in town to have been built in this – at the time still innovative – manner. Who knows, this may well have been the reason for its owner‘s happiness ;)
Just to the left from the bridge leading to the town center, at the very bottom of the river, lies Mostina. Invisible from above the water, this underwater structure was part of the town’s innovative defense system. The trick was that the wall was adjusted precisely to the draft of the Omiš pirates’ small and light boats – sagittae, while forming a trap and an insurmountable obstacle for much bigger enemy ships, which, once stranded there, became an easy target for the Omiš pirates waiting ashore.
Just to the left from the bridge leading to the town center, at the very bottom of the river, lies Mostina. Invisible from above the water, this underwater structure was part of the town’s innovative defense system. The trick was that the wall was adjusted precisely to the draft of the Omiš pirates’ small and light boats – sagittae, while forming a trap and an insurmountable obstacle for much bigger enemy ships, which, once stranded there, became an easy target for the Omiš pirates waiting ashore.
Due to its well-preserved condition and architectural features, the Church of St. Peter represents one of the most important examples of Early Croatian Pre-Romanesque sacral architecture, and it was first mentioned in 1074, during the rule of King Slavac.
Due to its well-preserved condition and architectural features, the Church of St. Peter represents one of the most important examples of Early Croatian Pre-Romanesque sacral architecture, and it was first mentioned in 1074, during the rule of King Slavac.
