The Donkey Memorial

The donkey is known by several different names on Hvar, magarac, tovor, tovar, sivac, magare, but no matter what its title, it is a symbol of Dalmatia. It is also a symbol of the survival of the Dalmatian people, who relied on the donkey’s help for centuries. The donkey is a loyal, patient, self-sacrificing, hardy creature, which puts up with everything, however hard.

In the Bible, the donkey is a ‘sacred animal’, and not so long ago the island’s farmers used to call it their ‘household treasure’. Nowadays, it is rare to see the donkeys which were once such dear faithful friends to people in Dalmatia.

The donkey has vanished!

The donkey is testimony to the centuries of suffering endured by the Dalmatian farming population. It is a symbol of a past way of life on the island, deserving of a memorial commemorating its important role in helping people to survive. Ivan Škrmeta, a self-taught sculptor from Poljica who lives in Jelsa, has taken the trouble to make an exquisite statue of this worthy symbol of the struggle Dalmatian farmers have had in eking food and a livelihood from Hvar’s stony ground.

The donkey statue now stands proudly on the New waterfront (Nova riva), a pleasure for nostalgic locals, and a veritable charming delight for tourists.