Cultural heritage and tradition
Provided by:
Grad Komiža
In Komiža, the sea is not just a space but also a destiny. For centuries, the people of Komiža lived alongside it and from it, carrying both its gifts and its dangers. Their lives were shaped by the ships they built, the language they spoke and the customs with which they invoked protection from heaven. Thus, a unique heritage was created – a combination of faith, knowledge and courage that still forms the heart of Komiža today. The fishermen and their boats were watched over by Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of travelers and the city, to whom they burned an old ship every winter as a sign of gratitude and prayer for the salvation of all others. From the need to survive on the high seas, the falkuša was born – a ship that hides two souls and which made the people of Komiža the first fishermen of the open sea. And in order to pass on all this knowledge, a special lingua halieutica developed, a fishermen's language intertwined with words about the sea, wind and catch. These are all threads of the same story – stories about Komiža, which for centuries has known how to love, respect and outwit the sea. Stories that today are not just memories, but living heritage, recognized and protected, and proudly carried into the future.
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Points of interest
#1
Fishing
If someone came to Komiža in past centuries, the first thing they would notice would be the smell of fish and the wooden boats lined up along the waterfront. Almost every family lived from the sea, and sardines were the main food and main source of income. A special boat, the gajeta falkuša, gave fishermen an advantage over everyone else on the Adriatic – with it they could go to the open sea and return with catches that were unimaginable elsewhere. The most important place for fishing was Palagruža, an island in the open sea, closer to Italy than Vis. For centuries, the people of Komiža went there and fished in its rich sea. It was precisely thanks to their constant presence that Palagruža remained Croatian. There are also records from 1553 that say that in one day they caught as much as 120 tons of oily fish. All this led to Komiža becoming the main fishing center on the Adriatic. Fish was salted and exported in large quantities, and in 1870 the first fish canning factory on the Adriatic was opened in the town. Later there were as many as seven, which was a huge number for a small town on the island. Komiža was thus known as the center of the fish industry until the end of the 20th century. However, many Komiža residents did not stay on the island. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, they began to emigrate to California, where they continued to do what they knew best – catch and process fish. In 1917, they founded a small canned fish factory in San Pedro. At first it was modest, but thanks to the knowledge and perseverance of the Komiža residents, it soon grew. By the middle of the century, it became the largest fish canning factory in the USA, and for a time in the entire world. For most immigrants from Komiža, working in that factory was their first job in America. That is why today there are several times more people of Komiža origin living in San Pedro than in Komiža itself on the island of Vis.
#2
Komiza sardine
In Komiža, it has always been said that there is no real life without sardines. For fishermen, it was not just fish but also the staple food that accompanied them every day – at sea, at home and on all occasions. Sardines were prepared in countless ways, but most often they were cooked in a stew, a simple dish that fed entire families after long days spent at sea. But sardines did not just stay in the pot. One of the most famous Komiža traditions is also associated with them – Komiža pogača. It is a simple but filling dish made from yeast dough, tomatoes, onions and salted fish, most often sardines or anchovies. Pogača was eaten as a brunch or snack, and it was an ideal food for fishermen because it could be taken on the boat and remained tasty even after several hours at sea. Because of all this, sardines in Komiža are more than just a regular food. It is a symbol of the place, a reminder of the difficult life of fishermen and proof that simple ingredients can be used to create food that is remembered and passed down through the generations.
#3
Lingua halieutica - fishing language of Komi fishermen
On the Komiža waterfront, among the nets and the smell of the sea, a special speech could once be heard that only those who came from the sea could understand. This speech was called Lingua halieutica – the fishing language of Komiža fishermen. It was not a real, full language, but a special vocabulary that emerged from everyday life at sea. For centuries, fishermen created their own words for ships, tools, winds and fish. Thus, the falkuša had its own special parts and names, and tools such as the peškafonda were used for night fishing for squid. These words mixed Croatian, Venetian, Italian and other Mediterranean languages – just as trade and fishing routes mixed on the open sea. Lingua halieutica was actually a small world in itself. Fishermen used it while they worked, sailed or cast their nets, and each word carried experience and knowledge passed down from generation to generation. That is why this language became part of the identity of Komiža – a code that connected the community and kept the secrets of the sea. Today, this speech is heard less and less often, but it has not been forgotten. Thanks to records, books and festivals, part of it is being revived. When falkuši are restored in Komiža or fishermen's festivals are held, along with the smell of sardines and the sound of the waves, you can hear a few words from this old language. It is more than words – it is a symbol of cultural heritage, proof that the sea not only shapes life but also the speech of the people who live by it.
#4
St. Nicholas
In Komiža, where the sea is equally close and beautiful and dangerous, fishermen have always sought protection from heaven. Their guardian was Saint Mikula the Traveler – the patron saint of fishermen, travelers and the town itself. It was believed that he watched over the boats and all the people who tied their lives to the sea. Every year, on the sixth of December, the people of Komiža expressed their gratitude to him in a special way. On the waterfront, they would set fire to an old wooden ship – a gift to Saint Mikula, but also a sacrifice in the hope that all other ships would remain safe at sea. The flame illuminated the entire town, and people gathered with prayer and song, aware that their lives were in the hands of the sea, but also in the faith they carried. This tradition continues today. Although ships have changed, and fishing is no longer the only destiny of the people of Komiža, the custom of burning a ship has remained an equally powerful symbol. It reminds us of centuries of courage and faith, of a community that has always known that the sea should be respected, but also that sometimes it should be bowed down to.
#5
Gajeta Falkuša
Among all the ships of the eastern Adriatic, one has taken a special place in the hearts of the people of Komiža – the gajeta falkuša. This unique fishing boat, created out of the need to survive on the open sea, has become a symbol of the courage and skill of the fishermen of Vis. The people of Komiža were the first fishermen of the open sea. Their lives were tied to the sea, which brought them both bread and danger – from sudden storms to pirates lurking in the dark nights. In order to cope with the sea, they needed a ship that was fast, strong and reliable, but also agile enough to carry a larger load of catch. Thus was born the falkuša – a ship that hides two souls within itself: a low fishing boat for hunting and a tall ship for sailing and transport. It owed its uniqueness to the folkes, the side panels that enabled it to transform into this miraculous vessel. However, fate was not kind to this pearl of shipbuilding. The last original falkuša, “Cicibela”, sank on a stormy night in 1986 near Biševo. It seemed that centuries of knowledge, craftsmanship and tradition would disappear with it. But thanks to the persistence of Professor Joško Božanić and the collaboration with Professor Velimir Salomon, a great rescue was launched – research that included not only the ship and its construction, but also the language of the fishermen, their stories, place names, customs and even recipes. After eleven years of hard work, in 1997 a new falkuša was launched in Komiža – “Comeza-Lisboa”. It was the first after a decade of silence, built precisely to show the strength and beauty of this heritage to the world audience in Lisbon. That moment was not just the launching of the ship, but also the return of an entire culture from oblivion. Today, four falkušas sail in Komiža: “Comeza-Lisboa”, “Mikula”, “Palagruža” and “Molo”. The last of them is a small falkuša, intended for children, so that they can learn from a young age what it means to be a fisherman and inherit the skills of their ancestors. This way, the falkuša remains a living symbol – a ship that has survived centuries, storms and oblivion, and which continues to tell the story of Komiža and its sea.