Supetar | |
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Town | |
Supetar harbor
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Location of Supetar in Croatia | |
Coordinates: 43°23′04″N 16°33′19″E / 43.38444°N 16.55528°E | |
Country | Croatia |
County | Split-Dalmatia |
Island | Brač |
Government | |
• Mayor | Ivana Marković (SDP) |
Area | |
• Total | 30 km2 (10 sq mi) |
Elevation | 0 m (0 ft) |
Population (2011) | |
• Total | 3,326 |
Time zone | CET (UTC+1) |
• Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
Postal code | 21 400 |
Area code(s) | 021 |
Licence plate | ST |
Website | supetar.hr |
Supetar (Croatian pronunciation: [sǔpetar], Italian: San Pietro della Brazza) is a town and a city on the northern side of the Dalmatian island of Brač, in the Split-Dalmatia County, in Croatia. It became the island's official centre in 1827. The City of Supetar includes the town Supetar and the three villages Splitska, Škrip and Mirca.
With a population of 3,326, it is the island's largest and fastest-expanding town with dozens of apartments being built every year. It is accessible by ferry (Jadrolinija, the ferry ride from the mainland city of Split takes 45 minutes) or via Brač Airport which is located 30 kilometres to the Southeast. The official language is Croatian, however many inhabitants also speak English, Italian or German.
Old Supetar was situated on the small peninsula where there is now a graveyard. The settlement came to an end during the early Christian era. In the late Middle Ages a new settlement started around the bay known as St. Peter's, from which the town derives its name. It originated from the Latin S.v Petar during the Latin population of the town. "Sv" stands for "Sveti", meaning saint, therefore it takes its name from Saint Peter, which is the name's English equivalent translation.
The present settlement of Supetar was founded in the 16th century when people living in Nerežišča, about 8 kilometres (5 miles) inland, began to use it as their harbour. The town's main period of development occurred during the 18th and 19th centuries when Supetar took over from Nerežišča as the administrative centre of the island of Brač.