Jasna Čapo contributed to the Past, Present and Future of Public Space, an International Academic Conference in Bologna (June 25-27 2024) with the lecture “Transformations of Public Space in a Small Mediterranean Town: The Case of Pjaca in the Town of Hvar“.
Abstract:
Public spaces in the Mediterranean urban contexts, in particular the towns’ central squares, are notorious for creating and enhancing local social relations. Usually with a church somewhere on its edge, they used to be the centers of sociability for local residents: for women after the church service, for men on the way to service or as they were exchanging news about politics in a cafe, for children playing after school… In addition to these everyday activities, town squares also served as the stage for rituals, such as the enchanting fraternities’ processions on major church holidays and alike.
Based on ethnographic research, the presentation aims to document the changes introduced by the tourist industry into the life and material aspects of the main square in Hvar, Pjaca. It will point out conflicts over meaning and functions of public space when a location is turned into a destination in the summer months. With visual materials, it will document a striking difference between the town’s appearance in the tourist season and outside of it. The square with a large communal well from the 16th century, which enjoys the protective status of material cultural heritage, is stripped of its original residential function and transformed into hospitality establishments (restaurants, bars and cafes, villas and apartments for short-term rental) in the summer months. Commercialized for the purpose of tourism, the large open space of the square is thus severely reduced, disrupting local sociability patterns and even preventing normal strolling along the square. The problem is further aggravated by hospitality entrepreneurs who respond to the increasing demand generated by excessive numbers of tourists by spreading out their premises on the square itself and staging loud open-air parties in bars, thereby not only infringing upon public spaces but also violating regulations regarding the permissible amount of public space that can be utilized by their businesses. Each year, particularly during the tourist season, conflicts over public spaces grow increasingly bitter. The (mis)use of public spaces and the town for touristic purposes also inspired commentary by local artists two years ago. Art installations that critically commented on the turistification of the square and the town spurred local reactions but this did not bring in any change into the hospitality sector. The square which was designed to be the center of everyday life continues to be lost for local use in the summer months.