Cultural
Plaine de Stari Grad
Croatie
Photo : Argo Navis (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Located on the Adriatic island of Hvar in Croatia, this site encompasses an agricultural plain that represents an exceptional example of ancient Greek colonial settlement and land organization. The Stari Grad Plain demonstrates a distinctive system of land division established by Greek colonists from Paros in the 4th century BCE, with field boundaries and agricultural plots that have remained largely unchanged for over two millennia. The geometric pattern of the landscape reflects early Greek approaches to systematic territorial planning and agricultural management in a Mediterranean context. The site's significance lies in its continuity of use and the preservation of its original layout, which provides rare archaeological evidence of ancient agrarian systems. The plain is characterized by stone walls dividing parcels of land, traditional agricultural practices, and scattered settlements that collectively illustrate the historical relationship between humans and this specific landscape. This cultural landscape was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in recognition of its outstanding universal value as a testimony to ancient colonization and land management practices.
