What is Fortress Batarija hiding?

Fortress Batarija in the town of Vis was built during the Austrian administration in 1841 under the name Levarman. When the Italians occupied the island, it was renamed Batteria della Madona, and today it is called Gospina batarija (Fortress Batarija).

Batarija is home to the Archaeological Museum, which houses three valuable and diverse collections. So you can see Greek dishes dating back to the 3rd-1st centuries BC, which the Issatian Greeks used in everyday life. There is also a stone relief of the Roman god Mars made in the 1st-2nd century, as well as three stone heads.

The second part of the collection deals with fishing in Vis. The central exhibit is the bow of a fishing boat placed as if it had just been hauled out. On it and around it, there are fishing tools and ship equipment: spear, boat pump, anchor, net, and other items. The third part of the exhibit shows civic furniture, items related to shipbuilding, viticulture, transportation of goods, and contemporary history.

Archaeological Museum of Vis, Photo: Ivo Biočina – Croatian Tourist Board

In the Archaeological Museum, you can also see the Hydroarchaeological collection of amphorae from the Vela Svitnja bay, as well as a collection of Hellenistic monuments and a copy of the bronze head of the goddess Artemis.

Regular working hours of the museum are from June 1 to October 1 from 10 am to 1 pm and from 5 pm to 9 pm, on Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm, and closed on Sundays.