Selca is a municipality on the island of Brač in Croatia in the Split-Dalmatia County. It has a population of 1,804 (2011 census), 97.17% of which are Croats. Towns included in the municipality are: Selca, Sumartin, Povlja, Novo Selo which are home to numerous historical sites of various importance such as the Parish Church in Selca, which later came to be known as the "Cathedral of Brač", the 18th century church in Povlja, where the Charter of Povlja was found as well as the 10th century Church of Nikola located in Sumartin.
Geography
Selca is located on the hills of Pliša, on the east side of the Island of Brač.
Demographics
The town of Selca has a population of about a thousand people. According to the 2011 census, the whole municipality of Selca has a population of 1'804, the majority of which are Croats that make up 97.17%. The most practiced religion is Catholicism.
History
Selca is first mentioned in the Charter of Povlja in 1184.
As an agricultural settlement, Selca began its existence as a small part of the parish (the smallest administrative unit within the Christian Church) of Gornji Humac. Thanks to stone masonry the settlement later began to evolve rapidly, which then led to an administrative reorganisation that made Selca its own parish in 1815. Local demographics statistics show a boom in the numbers of inhabitants, going from a population of 124 in 1678 to a population of 400 in 1763. The small church which could take only 20 people was then expanded, as did the village itself with newly built houses and administrative establishments. The town slowly took the form of a well-established economic center on the east side of the Island of Brač. The first school on said side of the Island then opened its doors in 1859.
In 1943, shortly before the capitulation of Fascist Italy, the Italian army had burned large parts of Selca down, along with 6 other settlements on the Island of Brač, an event that left visible traces to this day. The manifestation was named Croatia rediviva: Ča, Kaj, Što - baštinski dani, organized in 2008, commemorates the day of the attack. The festival is held annually, and every poet reads his own verses, in one of the three Croatian literary idioms, at the main stone-covered square of Stjepan Radić in front of numerous interested admirers of the Croatian literary word.
Notable people
Celestin Bezmalinović (1912–1993), bishop
Niko Bezmalinović, Croatian economist and diplomat
Nikola Bezmalinović (Nick Bez), Croatian industrialist in the USA and American politician Marija Brida (1912–1993), freedom philosopher Niko Carević, Croatian medic Tomo Didolić (1844–1907), first mayor of the municipality of Selca Helena Gamulin-Brida, Croatian Sea Biologist Zlatan Jakšić (1924–2007), professor at the philosopher's university in Zadar, one of the biggest čakavian philosophers Neva Kežić (1948–2010), Croatian poet who writes mainly in the Čakavian dialect Ante Nižetić (1924–2007), Croatian poet Siniša Vuković (born 1973), Croatian linguist, writer and dirigent Andro Štambuk (1913–1955), auxiliary Bishop, who took care of refugees, was a victim of the post-communist violence due to his religious beliefs Davor Štambuk, Croatian caricaturist Drago Štambuk (born 1950), medic, writer, essayist and diplomat; author and promoter of "zlatne formule hrvatskoga jezika ča-kaj-što" (The golden formula of the Croatian language ča-kaj-što); Founder of the pan-Croatian writers event "Croatia rediviva ča-kaj-što" 1991. Ivan Štambuk (called "Ivulić") (1911–1971), philanthropist, the youngest mayor (1939–1943), initiator of the rehabilitation of the then burned town of Selca Nives Štambuk Giljanović (1947), expert on the water systems of the Dalmatia region, scientist and medical professor at the medical university of Split, writer of the books "Vode Dalmacije" (Water of Dalmatia), Vode Cetine (Water of Cetine), Vode Neretve (Water of Neretva) Slavko Štambuk, prebendary, writer of the parish chronicles, played a great role in the building of the "Brač cathedral" Slobodan Štambuk (1941–2023), bishop Vjenceslav Štambuk, businessman, founder of the first Dalmatian cooperative, dedicated his life for the building of the "Brač cathedral" Andro Ursić, priest