Makarska

Beneath the steep slopes of Biokovo, Makarska occupies a harbor on the Dalmatian coast. The town became an Ottoman port at the end of the 15th century, linking the Adriatic with the Bosnian hinterland. Livestock, grain, wool and wax passed through its market, while cloth, spices and other goods traveled inland. Ottoman authorities enclosed the town with walls and towers, guarding a valuable outlet to the sea.

The harbor's position exposed it to wars with Venice. During the Cretan War, Venetian forces captured Makarska in 1646, burned the town and demolished its Ottoman walls. Fighting and changing authority continued along the coast for decades. The Franciscan monastery also suffered damage during the war and in an earthquake in 1667. Under Venetian rule the friars later established a school of philosophy in 1708 and a theological school in 1736.