Articles

Kuna Pelješka is a small settlement on the Pelješac peninsula within the municipality of Orebić, which abounds in both natural and religious sights. The protected cultural monument, the church of Our Lady of Loreto, or Delorita as the locals call it, together with the Franciscan monastery, which represents the most monumental Baroque building in the Dubrovnik area outside the city of Dubrovnik, is a must-see. Back in 1681, the inhabitants built a small church in the middle of the peninsula in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Loreto. The church was built on the model of the Dubrovnik cathedral, and included the space of the presbytery of the current church, which was rebuilt to its present form in 1705: three naves, 30 meters long and 12 meters wide. The church has 5 altars - the main one and four side altars. The main altar with St. John the Baptist was painted by the famous Celestin Medović, whose summer house is also an unavoidable stop for visitors to Pelješac. With privileges from 1705, Delorita became the property of the Province of St. Francis in Dubrovnik with the right to build a monastery next to the church. The monastic community was established in 1708, when the 40-year construction of the monastery began. Today, the monastery has a valuable treasury of art with works by painters Ambroz Testen and Celestin Medović.

In addition to the famous Medović, Kuna Pelješka is the birthplace to another painter who pushes the boundaries of art, even on the threshold of his hundredth birthday. The extraordinary Emil Bobanović Čolić is an academic painter of international reputation. He graduated in painting and literature, and only at the age of sixty did he start sculpting. He is the winner of many awards and recognitions, among the biggest ones being the Lorenzo il Magnifico medal and a diploma in the selection of sculptures from the world exhibition in Florence in 2001.

Passing through Pelješac, you will also come across a unique farm - a donkey farm. The family farm has 70 donkeys, 150 sheep, 150 goats and 10,000 vines, and visitors cannot leave indifferent. Tame donkeys are an attraction for foreigners because probably none of them have ever tried to ride a donkey, let alone participate in a donkey race. In addition, as part of the family farm, they will offer you exclusively home-made dishes and products: wine, liqueurs, juices, cheeses, prosciutto, pancetta, salami and homemade bread.

Fun fact: The popular name Delorita (for the church of Our Lady of Loreto) originates from Loreto, celebrating the memory of Our Lady's house which, according to legend, was carried by angels.