Main Hvar square – St Stephens square, popularly called Pjaca, is the largest square in Dalmatia.
This superb Renaissance square sprawls over 4500 sq meters, and it was here that official announcements were made when Hvar was under Venetian rule.
Originally it was a deep bay that was filled with rocks for centuries until it got its present dimensions. Subsequently, it was a space between two fortified cities: Groda in the north and Burg in the south.
It used to be wider than it presently is, but due to a shortage of space in the fortified city, houses were built on the northern part of the Piazza in front of the city walls.
Its style is typical of piazzas built under the Venetian empire. Communal well in the center of the Piazza dates from 1529.
Today, the square is lined with cafes and small businesses, but the impressive architecture is intact.
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