March 25, 2021 - Narona Archeological Museum is the first on-the-site museum in Croatia and one of the only ones in the world. The museum is built directly on the ancient temple dedicated to Augustus, the first Roman emperor in the modern city of Vid.

In 1995 and 1996, under the guidance of Prof. Emilio Marin, Ph.D., archeologists discovered 17 marble statues with inscriptions and mosaic floors inside the Plečaš family barn in Vid, located just on the outskirts of Metković. The remains of the Roman city of Narona, which is a unique archeological find, indicated that the city was of great importance during the Roman era, built in the first century BC. 

When the marble statues and remains of the temple were found within a family barn, the Narona Archeological Museum was constructed on-site to ensure all found remains don't get damaged in transport or relocation. The modern design of the museum was done by architect Goran Rako in 2001. Once the museum was constructed and the permanent exhibition was set up, the museum opened its doors on May 18, 2007.

Historically, Narona was one of the most important cities during the Roman era on the Adriatic's eastern shores due to its ideal location. When you're linked to the coast, the world is at your fingertips, and with Narona, today's Vid, being surrounded by the river Neretva, the city of Narona continued to thrive. 

The museum is a hidden gem of Croatia and the Neretva Valley. This incredible find doesn't get half of the international recognition it deserves due to its location. The town Vid, located in the Neretva Valley, is most known for its history, but as most of the valley is still not the most popular tourist location unless you know what you're looking for, the museum remains a hidden gem. 

Narona Archeological Museum presents its visitors with a unique experience to witness Roman architecture and history. The Narona museum is a perfect place for all lovers of culture, arts, history, and archeology. To walk into a museum and be transported into the Roman era is a rare find, so make sure you add a visit to the Narona Archeological Museum to your list! 

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In the coming days, the very first website dedicated to the underwater archaeological site which boasts an ancient Roman ship will be presented to the public in Letavica on the island of Pag.

As Morski writes on the 21st of March, 2019, the lecture "From a discovery to a tourist attraction" will be held on March the 29th, 2019 at the Rector's Palace on Pag, starting at 17:00. More about this project was discussed by Vedran Dorušić from the Foka Diving Center with Morski.

''First and foremost, we want to bring this extremely attractive locality closer to the island's inhabitants, as well as to the general public. For this purpose, many steps have been taken, and this presentation is just one of them. The location, the chronology of its discovery and its protection, and all that we know about what can be done to make this [sunken Roman ship] a tourist attraction in a positive way [will be done]. Research at Letavica was aided by the University of Zadar, the Croatian Restoration Institute, the International Center for Underwater Archeology and the Archaeological Museum in Zadar, as well as the Foka Diving Center,'' said Dorušić.

The aforementioned lecture will be held by doc. Dr. Irena Radić Rossi, Igor Savić and Vedran Dorušić. The presentation will include professional historical context, in the sense of both diving and marketing. It will be interesting to divers, lovers of history and cultural heritage as well as to those who work in the field of tourism who can assist in presenting this interesting site and even the island of Pag itself.

The Pag site is located at a depth of 36 to 38 metres and lies about 500 metres from the coast. What is specific in the sense of the actual area of this remarkable discovery is the fact that it lies next to a reef which is home to a beautiful underwater boasting an abundance of fish and other types of marine life, making it a great attraction for divers even without the 1st century BC Roman find. At the site itself, between 400 and 600 amphora of types known as Lamboglia 2 were found, all of which were full of wine.

From all that we know today, it can be concluded that this ancient sunken vessel is a Roman ship from the 1st century BC, making it a truly impressive piece of history. In its day, the Roman ship was about thirty metres long, making it a very large ship for its time. The site was originally discovered on July the 28th, 2018 as part of the regular activities carried out by the aforementioned diving center. Diving at the time of the site's discovery were Igor Savić and Vedran Dorušić, as well as two tourists.

The site will be the first to remain unprotected by a cage, modern technology will be used for its protection instead. Some potential means of protection were tested and presented by Croatian archaeologists and experts from Norway earlier this month. In addition to this, the desire is also to set up live underwater cameras that, besides offering the site constant protection, also hold a promotional purpose for this fascinating site.

Cameras will make it possible to look down under the water at the Roman wreck at any time of day, and this unique example should help the island of Pag get properly placed on a diving map, subsequently helping to further develop the whole island of Pag. It's also interesting to note that this site will be the first underwater archeological site to have its own website.

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