Pitve

The town of Pitve is located between Jelsa and the southern side of the island of Hvar. As in most Dalmatian towns, stone houses predominate, but Pitve has a special charm, a special soul.

The village of Pitve is, along with Dol, the oldest settlement on the island, and lies at the entrance to the Vratnik gorge. The old settlement was built along the gorge, and due to its defensive characteristics, it has preserved its continuity of existence since Illyrian times.

Folk festivals are traditional customs of every Dalmatian town, and once a year, in honor of their saint, a festival is organized for all friends and guests. In Pitve, it is on July 25th. There is one unwritten rule regarding festivals, and that is: “You don’t have to be invited to the festival”, i.e. anyone who comes is welcome, it is not necessary to invite each person separately. And that is indeed the case.

Although the Parish of Pitve is a very small community, it is a proud member of the UNESCO procession “For the Cross”.
During the emigration of its inhabitants after World War II, Pitve managed to preserve its centuries-old rural architecture. The picturesque and picturesque Pitve with a view of the sea, the mainland, the island of Brač, Biokovo, olive groves and vineyards is slowly but surely bringing life back to its small area.
Janus with two faces is the guardian of the cultivated fields, but also the guardian of the “Starogrojskog poja” that extends below Pitve.
The main backbone, and the place with the most beautiful view, is certainly the church of St. James the Apostle, which was first mentioned in 1452.
You will know what we are talking about if you wander through Pitve yourself. One of the oldest settlements on the island, Pitve consists of two parts, the so-called Lower and Upper Pitve.
In coexistence with nature, the hardworking inhabitants of Pitve cultivate their olive groves and vineyards, carefully protect and nurture them, and when the time comes, they harvest grapes and olive oil.

How to get there:
Pitve is located near the main state road 116 that runs through the middle of the island of Hvar, from Sućuraj in the east. At the intersection near Jelsa, you need to turn west, after about 2 km of driving you will reach your destination.

What to see and visit:
Church of St. Roch
Parish of St. James
Bike trails

Where to eat and drink:
Tonoba “Dvor Duboković”

Special events:
Procession “Za križen”
Feast of St. James

Photo gallery

Agriculture

The villagers tend their olive groves and vineyards through the year, producing wine and olive oil following the harvests. There are also vegetable plots, lavender fields and other fruit trees, and some people keep livestock such as goats and chickens.

Donje and Gornje Pitve

Pitve in fact consists of two parts, Donje (Lower) Pitve, and Gornje (Upper) Pitve. The latter is the older part, and is one of the oldest inhabited settlements on Hvar.

St. James’ Church

Pitve’s most prominent feature, situated where the view from the village is finest, is the Church of St. James the Apostle, which lies on a rise between the two parts of the village, and was first mentioned in historical documents in 1452.

Janus

The two-faced Roman God in the churchyard acts as a symbolic ‘guardian’ watching over Pitve’s cultivated fields and the Stari Grad Plain which stretches out below the village.

Architecture

The village has managed to retain its centuries-old rural architecture, and offers splendid views, not just over the beautiful woodlands and fields surrounding it, but also over the mainland, Brač Island, the Biokovo mountain range. Many people left Pitve after the Second World War. However, slowly but surely, life is returning to this exquisite village: old houses are being renovated, new ones built, with just a few used for tourist purposes.

The ‘Za Križen’ Procession

Pitve is a very small community, but it takes part with pride in the UNESCO-listed ‘Za Križen’ procession tradition every year through the night of Maundy Thursday to early on Good Friday morning.

St. James, Pitve’s patron saint

Pitve’s feast day, in honour of St. James, falls on July 25th. The custom is for mass to be concelebrated in the morning by a group of priests from around the island and even beyond. There is a procession in which a relic, purportedly of the saint, is carried around the outside of the church for veneration. After the mass most local householders prepare a festive lunch, hosting yet more guests for dinner later on. Then lively dancing on the square in Donje Pitve continues into the early hours.

Pitve’s recently renovated old school is being transformed into a modern inter-active museum

Both parts of Pitve offer charming walks through old alleys, and spectacular views

Crkva Sv. Roka

Crkva Sv. Roka nalazi se u Donjim Pitvama, a temeljito je obnovljena 2011. g. izvana i unutra. U ovoj maloj crkvici se odvijaju povremena molitvena okupljanja kroz tjedan, a posebna slavlja vezana su za blagdane sv. Roka i Gospe Snježne. Odmah pred nje, nalazi se i župska kuća. Crkva sv. Roka gradila se dvatesetih godina 17. st.