Under the watchful eye of lions
Built in 1885, the Matković house is the property of a notable family from Tisno. Pave Matković, the first owner, had four brothers, Enrico - the editor of the newspaper II Dalmata in Zadar, Mate the merchant, and Petar and Ante, about whom very little is known because they allegedly lived a secluded life. Of the four Matković brothers, Enrico was the most prominent, given that he was active in political and social life as a member of the Dalmatian Parliament and stood out as a volunteer in the military campaigns for the unification of Italy. He was often described as an adventurer with a restless spirit.
"SMALL, BUT PLEASANT TO ME"
House Matković has been a pharmacy since 1900, and it has remained so to this day. Annuziata di Denaro was the owner of a pharmacy for which the Matkovićs rented her the ground floor, and in 1911 Pave's wife Jelka sold the entire house to Anuzziata, even though she loved her very much, as can be concluded from the sign above the entrance door "PARVA SED APTA MIHI" which means " SMALL, BUT PLEASANT TO ME''. It's no wonder, because the grandiose entrance to the house is adorned with a garden enriched by nature and a monumental door, as well as lions cast in salonite. Pave Matković was very fond of figures, so in addition to lions, he decorated his yard with vases and other haberdashery made of salonite, as well as figures of girls, supposedly from Tisno, who caught his eye.
Although Enrico's work stood out more in the Matković family, Pave's house became an important part of the history of the Tisno cultural and architectural heritage. The beautiful park mentioned above is still maintained today, where you can rest and enjoy under the shade of the old fig tree.
Sources:
Josip Ćuzela, Ivo Šprljan (2019) Otok Murter: pogled na baštinu. Općina Tisno.
Branko Pavlov (2021) Tisno i Tišnjani kroz stoljeća.
