The one who “commands the river”: Metković during the Venetian-Turkish conflicts 1662-1720

Abstract

In the light of the main events of the Candian and two Morean Wars that affected Metković and its area, together with an overview of its civil and military administrative organization, this paper discusses the position of major buildings in the village and brings the analysis of land division among local population.The location of Metković in front of Neretva region’s main town Čitluk and the Gabela market, surrounded by fertile fields and two meanders of the Neretva river and placed below the slopes of Predolac hill, made it an exposed and rich village very interesting to Uskoks during the War of Candia (1645–1669). The eight towers were supposed to be used for defense and shelter for approximately a bit over two hundred of its inhabitants. The fact that numerous incursions by Uskok detachments took place is corroborated by the sale of Metković’s captive population, mainly to Naples. After a short period of peace, the First Morean War began, in which the lower Neretva was liberated at its very beginning, and the final liberation of Metković, after several unsuccessful attacks, captures and burnings, was achieved in June 1694. It was inhabited by the newly arrived population, mainly from Eastern Herzegovina. They rebuilt Metković and its towers, and built a new church. After the division of the land, the new population cultivated agricultural areas mainly with wheat, barley and vineyards. A short period of peace, which enabled the development of the village, primarily due to the harbor for heavy ships and the associated warehouses, was abruptly interrupted by the Second Morean War, in which Čitluk and Metković were destroyed by the decision of the Venetian authorities during their retreat in February 1716. The population went into exile until mid-September of the same year, when the place was regained in an incursion under the leadership of Antonio Maria Semitecolo. With the final regulation of the border in 1719, Metković remained under Venetian rule after a long period of border-related vicissitudes.