Fodor's Expert Review Tvrdalj

Stari Grad's trvdalj, or fortress, is the palace of renowned local poet Petar Hektorović (1487-1572). The Tvrdalj was first renovated in 18th-century Baroque style, and a partial restoration was completed in the 19th century. Hektorović originally attempted to create a "model universe" to be embodied in his home. To that end, a large fish pond on-site is stocked with gray mullet, as it was in the poet's own time, representing the sea; and above the fish pond in a tower is a dovecote, representing the air. Ivy was allowed to cover the walls to tie the home to the land. Quotations from Hektorović's striking poetry are inscribed on many walls. The home is not open to visitors, but the garden is worth a visit, and there is also a display of ancient agricultural equipment.