Croatia is participating for the fourth time, with more than 30 participants from Pula and Rovinj presenting the country’s long maritime tradition, organised by the Split-based maritime heritage association Cronaves.
Speaking about the importance of heritage, festival executive director Wolfgang Idiri said European and global maritime heritage festivals can no longer be imagined without Croatian vessels and people preserving and presenting centuries-old traditions.
“Croatia is not just a participant in the festival; in Cronaves we have found a partner and a friend who each time introduces us to new people and projects from the Adriatic coast,” Idiri added.
Croatia’s equal status within the Mediterranean maritime family was also highlighted by Lada Muraj, First Secretary at the Croatian Embassy in France.
She said Croatia’s participation once again demonstrates that it is “an equal member of the great Mediterranean maritime family”.
This, she added, underlines the strong ties between Croatia and France and the importance of the sea for both countries, particularly as Croatia this year chairs two initiatives – MED-9, of which France is also a member, and the Three Seas Initiative.
She said the event shows how the sea connects nations at a time when such links are increasingly important.
Along the two-kilometre Algerian Waterfront in Sète, the largest fishing port in the Mediterranean, visitors to the Croatian pavilion will be able to see models of batana and tartana boats by Lucian Keber, as well as a photography exhibition titled “Croatia – Homeland of the Sea” by Andrina Luić, Dubravka Pajk, Boško Lučev and Vislav Torre.
The programme also includes a demonstration sailing of a 20-metre tartana moored near the Croatian pavilion, workshops on shipbuilding and Croatia's maritime heritage, and presentations of traditional Croatian coastal and island cuisine prepared under chef David Skoko.
Cronaves president Plamenko Bavčević expressed satisfaction not only with Croatia’s continued participation, but also with the association’s role in connecting organisations dedicated to maritime heritage.
Croatian participation is organised by Cronaves in cooperation with the foreign and culture ministries, the Croatian Tourist Board, local tourism boards and local authorities. Nearly 120 vessels are taking part in the festival programme, ranging from replicas of historic sailing ships to modern boats. The Komiža-based Palagruža association is also participating with its own programme.