Although there’s evidence that man existed on the island as far back as the Stone Age, local legend says that the history of Korcula really started with Prince Antenor of Troy who founded the main settlement. Back in that time, the island may have been known as Korkyra Melania – meaning “Black Korcula” – because of its dense pine forests. There is evidence of Greek settlements on the island and Korcula was also part of the Roman Empire. Following rule by various groups, including the Croatian-Hungarian Kingdom, Korcula became part of the Venetian Empire in 1420 – which was the case of much of Dalmatia. It is believed that explorer Marco Polo was born on the island.
