Veli Lošinj

VELI LOŠINJ:

• The parish church of St. Anthony, built in 1774.

Captain Gašpar Kraljeta (Gaspare Craglietto), in his time known as a art enthusiast and a passionate collector in Venice, he donated the marble altar of Saint Ivan to his parish church, featuring a rococo sculpture of Our Lady of Carmel, a work of G. Bonazza dating back to the 17th century and a valuable painting of Our Lady with the Saints painted by Bartolomeo Vivarini in 1475. The church is a monument to the glory of Veli Lošinj seamen. Numerous members of the Petrina, Budinić, Leva, Raguzin, Busanić and other families were buried in the church and around it.

•The Venetian Tower, from 1445 was built to defend the harbour from pirate attacks. Today it is a museum and gallery.

• Apoxyomenos- an antique statue found in the Lošinj sea ( Island Orjule ) in 1999. It is a bronze statue of an athlete – Apoxyiomenos from the 2-1st century B.C. A copy is exhibited in the museum of the Venetian Tower in Veli Lošinj.
• The church of Our Lady of Angels, built in 1510, was transformed into a art gallery by captains donations.The church is luxuriously equipped, including a marble main altar from the 18th century, featuring two paintings of the late baroque painter Francesco Fontebasso (Sv. Hildebrand and Sv. Franjo Paulski).

•  Archduke Carl Stephen, a week after the wedding in Vienna, brings his wife, Royal Princess Theresa (Maria Theresia), to Veli Lošinj. After the welcoming ceremony the newly weds visited the parish church, which will become an important part of their religious life. Their daughters Eleonora and Renata and firstborn Karl Albrecht received their first Communion, his entire family was consecrated in 1899 to the Holy Heart of Jesus. On that occasion he donated a wooden statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Archduchess Theresa took the church under her high patronage.

•  Arrival of archduke Carl Stephen: a small cutter called Palamida moored 1885, carrying a visitor who would determine the further destiny not only of Veli Lošinj, but the entire island – it was the 25-year old Austrian Archduke Carl Stephen. He came incognito, in search of a good spot to build his summer residence. He bought a captain house in the town port and became not only an honorary citizen, but also a favorite occasional fellow citizen over the next 30 years.

• The forest park in Podjavori includes the former winter residence of the Hapsburg Archduke Carl Stephen.

•  Pension Erzherzogin Renata (Hotel Rudy), 1887 – The First Guesthouse in Veli Lošinj, named after a daughter of Archduke Carl Stephen.

• Villa Wartsee, 1885 – the first villa of archduke Carl Stephen.

• Villa Podjavori, 1886. – Castle and Gardens of Archduke Carl Stephen.

• Villa Mignon, 1905. – Former Guesthouse.

• Sanatorium, Veli Lošinj and Mali Lošinj were pronounced national climate resorts in 1892.

• Port Rovenska, the fishing part of Veli Lošinj is located in a bay named after bora wind that rummages with tremendous force.

• The water breaker of Rovenska, in 1856 the foundation stone was laid by the Hapsburg Archduke Maximilian commander of the Austro-Hungarian Navy in that time.

• Church of Saint Nicholas, 15th Century. The church was been built by Byzantine monks, Basilians.
• The church of St. John the baptist, after whom the hill was named, has a beautiful panoramic view of Veli and Mali Lošinj.
• Church of Sain Peter. Next to the Petrina Palace is a simple Chapel of Saint Peter that captain Ivan Petrina built in 1666.

• Parish Court (Former Monastery Court) and the Church of Saint Joseph, 1855.

• Chapel of Annunciation of Mary, 18th century (expanded in 1897), a small church was erected on the cape, which seamen used as orientation while navigating. The Chapel of Annunciation of Mary or Madonna, was provided with its neo-classicist style with characteristic stripes of lighter and darker stone in the late 19th century. Generations of renowned Veli Lošinj families Budinić and Stuparić are buried in  side the church.

• Cape Leva was named after the renowned maritime family Leva. Originating from Spain (De Leyva). In the 17th century, they were mentioned as commanders of a fortification on the islet of Sv. Petar near Ilovik. As of the 18th century, generations of captains began to come. Petar Jakov (Pietro Giacomo) Leva was the first East Adriatic captain to sail around Cape Horn in 1834, reaching Valparais from Trieste in 125 and initiating commercial relations with Chile.
He had ten children with two wives, one of whom was Maria Budinić (sister of captain Antonio Budinić). Five of them were captains.

• Petrina palace, 18th century. The palace of the most renowned Veli Lošinj maritime family in Podjavori.

• Meteorologic Station. From 1888 to 1896, a meteorological station operated in Veli Lošinj, to which the Central Meteorological Institute of Vienna send a thermometer and a rain gauge. Meteorological pillar was placed on the promenade on Cape Leva. Today, only its base remains.

•  Fish Market, from 1898.

•  Štandarac – flagpole, from 1808.
Blue World Institute, covers Lošinj undersea and the colony of dolphins found in this area, multimedia, interactive projections, exhibitions and lectures.