Čiovo (pronounced ; it, Bua) is an

island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

located off the Adriatic coast in

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

with an area of (length , width up to ), population of 5,908 inhabitants (2011) and its highest peak is 218 m (Rudine). The centre of the island has geographical coordinates , and the annual rainfall is about .

Geography

Čiovo is located in central Dalmatia, protecting the town of

Trogir Trogir (; historically known as Traù (from Dalmatian language, Dalmatian, Venetian language, Venetian and Italian language, Italian: ); la, Tragurium; Greek language, Ancient Greek: Τραγύριον, ''Tragyrion'' or Τραγούριον, '' ...

and Kaštela gulf. On its SE part it is only two km distant from the

cape A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment which drapes the wearer's back, arms, and chest, and connects at the neck. History Capes were common in medieval Europe, especially when combined with a hood in the chaperon. Th ...

Marjan, on its northern part it is connected to the mainland with a small

bascule bridge A bascule bridge (also referred to as a drawbridge or a lifting bridge) is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances a span, or leaf, throughout its upward swing to provide clearance for boat traffic. It may be single- o ...

in the old centre of

, and actually Trogir spread itself onto the island. Besides the portion of Trogir, on the island there are several villages:

Arbanija Arbanija is a village on Čiovo Island, Croatia. The settlement is administered as a part of the City of Trogir and Split-Dalmatia County. According to the 2011 census, the village has 374 inhabitants. It is connected by the D126 state road. T ...

Žedno Žedno is a village in the Čiovo island, near Split, Croatia. It is situated on the top of Čiovo island. The village has a church and a kindergarten, but no school. Administratively, it is part of the city of Trogir Trogir (; historically k ...

Okrug Gornji Okrug is a municipality located on the western side of the island of Čiovo, Croatia. It is divided into Okrug Gornji (''Upper Okrug'') and Okrug Donji (''Lower Okrug''), two traditional Dalmatian villages. Newly built holiday homes and hotels alo ...

, Okrug Donji, Slatine and Prizidnica. The vegetation is typically

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

, consisting mainly in

understory In forestry and ecology, understory (American English), or understorey (Commonwealth English), also known as underbrush or undergrowth, includes plant life growing beneath the forest canopy without penetrating it to any great extent, but abo ...

( holm oak, myrtle, wormwood, juniper etc.). On the northern side (exposed to the wind '' bura'') are forests of

pine A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus ''Pinus'' () of the family Pinaceae. ''Pinus'' is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae. The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts ...

and cypress. Major crops include olives, figs, almonds,

vine A vine (Latin ''vīnea'' "grapevine", "vineyard", from ''vīnum'' "wine") is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themsel ...

s and

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the rue family, Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. The genus ''Citrus'' is native to ...

fruit.

Connection to the mainland

Since 1964 the island was connected by a bridge to Trogir which is itself connected to the mainland by another bridge. The development of tourism though generated so much traffic that this connection suffered severe capacity shortages in high season. A construction of a new bridge which connects Čiovo directly with the mainland began in February 2015. It was opened to traffic on July 17, 2018. The new long

is located about east of the old one. Its navigational clearance when spans are closed is .

History

The remains of forts and walls, as well as the artefacts dating back to the Antiquity, indicate that the Island of Čiovo, on the western side of which there is the present-day Municipality of Okrug, was already inhabited in the prehistoric times. During the period of the Roman Empire it served as a shelter for the exiled, and in the 5th century it also became an eremitic retreat. If we exclude the religious hermits who used to live next to picturesque churches that may still be seen today, during the second half of the early Middle Ages the Island was not inhabited. The situation changed in 1451 when, due to ever more frequent Ottoman sieges, the Republic of Venice, under the dominion of which the Town of Trogir had been since the year 1420, allowed the population of the Dalmatian interior to settle onto the nearby islands. In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, Čiovo had many villages and it was a place for

lepers Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve dama ...

. Remains of the pre- Romanesque church of St. Peter have been found near Slatine, in the ''Supetar'' cove. The medieval church of St. Maurice (''Sv. Mavro'') has been preserved in Žedno and the pre-Romanesque church of Our Lady at the Sea (''Gospa pokraj mora''). The population of Čiovo increased in the 15th century through the settlement of refugees who fled from the

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...

.''Croatia'' by Robin and Jenny McKelvie
!-- publishing info needed --> Simultaneously, the suburban areas of Trogir also extended to Čiovo. A small chapel named Lady of Prizidnice (''Gospe od Prizidnice'') located on the south side of the island can still be visited today. Owing to its hidden location, it was used as a safe place to hold ceremonies during the occupation of the Turks.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ciovo Islands of Croatia Islands of the Adriatic Sea Landforms of Split-Dalmatia County