Tvrdalj

Tvrdalj Castle in Stari Grad is a Renaissance fortified summer residence built by poet Petar Hektorovic. Initial construction permission was granted in 1448, but work halted due to a Turkish attack and resumed in 1541. The complex encloses a seawater fish pond, a walled garden, and a dovecote tower. Inscriptions in Latin, Croatian, and Italian are carved across the walls, reflecting the owner's humanist ideals. The castle is considered the best-preserved example of Renaissance secular architecture on Hvar island.