Maritime Heritage

If we take a walk through Janjina and Popova Luka we can see by the architecture of some of the buildings that their former owners and residents were old sea captains and ship owners.

Foremost among them was the Bjelovučić family, which gave about 30 sea captains. The family had their maritime company called “Rođaci Bjelovučić” (Cousins Bjelovučić) that existed from the middle of 19th century to the year 1894. Their ships, at the time when Croatia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had mainly Croatian names. Some of the names were, “Mir” (Peace), “Tri kralja” (Three Kings), “Cvijet” (Flower), “Danica” (Day Star), “Vjeran” (Faithful), “Zvonimir”, “Ljubidrag”, “Ljubirod”, (all personal names), “Otac Niko” (Father Niko), “Mati Ane” (Mother An)] etc. At the time of the Croatian National Revival they flew the Croatian flag at the front mast. Their ships sailed the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and later, in search for work, all other seas. Records show that the *bark “Ljubirod”, captained by Pavo Bokanović of Popova Luka, was shipwrecked in the Torres Strait -- Australia in 1887; in 1893 bark “Vila”, commanded by Capt. Đuro Stanoš of Konavli, was abandoned off the North American coast; and in 1894 bark “Otac Niko” (Capt. Baldo Bjelovučić of Popova Luka) was lost in the Bay of Florida. Beside the Bjelovučićs other captains and share-owners of these vessels were from Bokanović, Čučuković, Jasprica, Kalafatović, Knežević, Miletić, Mratović, Škrabalo and other families of Janjina and Popova Luka.