Following an enlightening conversation in which Vito described the trees which used to beautify the town, he kindly provided pictures to show the many changes which have taken place.
There used to be tamarisks (Tamarix dalmatica in Latin, tamaris in Croatian), mainly along the waterfront, where they were planted in 1952 as protection for the Pjaca (Jelsa's main square) against the bura. The waterfront was a garden area arranged as a series of cultivated areas separated by little paths between the road and the shore. The tamarisks in each garden were surrounded by other plants, including the Japanese cheesewood which is still prevalent in the Jelsa park (Pittosporum tobira in Latin, pitospor in Croatian and mirta in the island dialect). On the sea side there was a bench under each tamarisk so that people could sit in cooling shade during the hot summers.
There was a linden (Latin tilia, lipa in Croatian) in pride of place on the main square (Pjaca)
In front of the Pjaca there were mulberries (Latin morus, dud or murva in Croatian).
There were plane trees (Latin platanus, Croatian platan) in the main Jelsa park, visible behind the statue of Niko Duboković in the photograph.
In front of Vito's house on the waterfront there was a very rare Empress Tree called Paulovnija in Croatian, Paulownia imperialis or Paulownia tormentosa in Latin. It is also known as Paulovnia, Princess Tree or Foxglove Tree in English, and has abundant fragrant flowers in spring. Jelsa's Paulovnia was said to come from China, but none of Vito's predecessors could say how it had come to Jelsa.
The area called Burkovo on the other side of the port from the main square was largely devoid of trees in the early part of the 20th century.
The area called Gradine, where Jelsa's cemetery is situated in modern times, was almost treeless.
Nowadays there is peaceful woodland in the area around the cemetery and plentiful trees above the Burkovo area. When Vito published these historic photos on Facebook, local people responded with their memories. Davor Trumbić recalled that the planting of the trees in both areas was the initiative of his grandfather, who, as head of the Jelsa school, led his pupils in this invaluable environmental project.
According to Vito, the true pride of Jelsa was of course the avenue of poplars on Strossmayer Promenade. There were even songs dedicated to them in an attempt to save them from being cut down. One was 'O, jablane moj visoki' ('O my lofty poplar tree') whose lyrics are roughly translated as follows: "Oh my lofty poplar, we shall not break your branches because you will always be our pride, the pride of all us Jelsans. Under your shade it's cool where my sweetheart goes walking. And when the poplar turns green in the springtime, I will pledge my troth to her, beneath the poplar". It was part of Klapa Jelsa's repertoire and they recorded it on their CD 'Sjećanja' using Antun Dobronić's melographic records, as well as another song dedicated to the poplar, 'Širi grone, jablane' ('Spread out your branches, poplar tree'). Later many other harmony singing groups included it in their repertoire, including a fine version by the female harmony group Klapa Orca: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1397718910243202O,
For Jelsans, it is interesting that the avenues of the poplars and the cypresses (Latin cupressus, Croatian čempres) intersected to form the sign of the Cross in the correct proportions. Whether that was by coincidence or design, one cannot say. Anyway, the poplars have been cut down and the future of the cypresses is not looking bright.
Apparently a Montpellier maple tree (acer monspessulanum in Latin, makljen or šestilj in Croatian) was planted somewhere on the Jelsa waterfront according to the Chronicle of Captain Niko Duboković, who was Mayor of Jelsa for 44 years from 1868 until his death in 1912. However, no-one could tell Vito where it was and it does not appear in any of the available archive photographs.
Trees are a vital asset in the environment for many reasons. Apart from the unseen but invaluable benefit of providing oxygen and clean air, they can be a source of food, building materials and fuel. They should be nurtured and cherished. Trees can be lost for a variety of reasons and the modern trend for urban expansion has seen the destruction of much woodland on Hvar Island. However, there are also occasional re-planting initiatives, such as the 'Ubodi bor' ('Plant a pine') project from a few years ago. This year saw the planting of some trees in the Jelsa region, in a joint project between the Jelsa Municipality, the Ministry of Tourism and Sport and the Croatian Tourist Board, under the slogan 'Croatia Naturally Yours.' Although the funding was pitifully limited, the choice of trees, tamarisks and a pomegranate, was a pleasing step in the right direction.
© Vivian Grisogono MA(Oxon) with Vito Gospodnteić
A note of thanks:
We are very grateful to Vito Gospodnetić for sharing his knowledge, experience an archive material with us. Vito worked for many years as an audio engineer for Croatian radio. A man of abundant energy, he has created tirelessly in order to convey the magic and mystery of sound to the widest possible audience. He founded the company Samofix and its associated sound studio. His expertise is not simply technical: he brings an inventive, artistic and innovative impulse into all his projects, and has well deserved the numerous awards he earned during his career. His soundscape book „Od kapi do slapa” ('From droplet to waterfall') is a twenty-minute transportation into an otherwise little-known world immortalizing the sounds a droplet of water creates from its inception in the karst caves through its development into a rivulet, stream then river gushing into the Plitvice Lakes with their famous cascading waterfalls. As well as demonstrating Vito's technical prowess, this soundscape is soothing and relaxing, a perfect antidote to the stresses of our modern world. You can experience a sample here, courtesy of the publisher and bookseller.
Book details: Vito Gospodnetić, 2022. „Od kapi do slapa”, publisher Audio Store Transonica Zagreb. ISBN 978-953-8329-28-9. Available from Book & Zvook, price 5.99€
