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Welcome to Čilipi |
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[Content]
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«Čilipi are no longer what they used to be.», a 90-year old Ane Carević speaks and nodds her head. «The people have changed and so have their ways of living. Hardly anybody works on the fields, there is hardly any wine left, just like the famous Konavle silk.» There was a time when the land along the river Kopačica - the miraculous river of the Čilipi field, was rich in grapes, in particular the types Kadarun, Dalmatinke and Grk, and even more in water mellons, pumpkins and beet. But now, forthe longest time, grass has covered the fields; nobody mows the grass and nobody grazes on her. But who would deal with this when there is only one cow left in the village, and the hoe, plough and scythe are only occasionally used by elderly natives. In Čilipi, no one lives off agriculture anymore. Čilipi, the village of cypresses and figues is known for its many legends. One of them tells the story of a dragon killed by Saint Hilarius at the old Epidaurus and he burned the dragon on a bonfire of revenge in Mlini. On the city walls of Braba's castle, the native people tell stories abouut the rich master, the nomleman of Dubrovnik who was a very rich man, and for his own luck used to cast golden coins into the sea of Bugovina. There is another story – the story of the most beutiful and most preserved castle of Čilipi – «Diklićeva taraca». It is a very impressive complex, built in Rennaisence style. Sadly, it was never completed due to a fight between a father and a son who could not agree and decide who should live on what floor. In this terrible fight, they smashed the place down; they even managed to break the full wine barrels in the celler and people are still telling stories about the wine that ran in streams and even reched the neighboring village Radovići. Like Rome, Čilipi are spreading over seven hills covered by cypresses, that hold a view open to all sides: towards massive mountains to the north, towards the Prevlaka peninsula to the south-east, and towards the city of Dubrovnik to the west. The legend sais that the name Čilipi comes from the patronymic of the family Zilipi from Dubrovnik – the family moved here from Byzance in the 12th century, their land being spread on the area of Čilipi. All of the seven villages of Čilipi reach way back into history, into time before Christ, when this was the land of Encheleas, inhabited by Greeks and Illyrians who livede here together. The legend named them – the people of eel!
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