A gem hidden in the canopy
Villa Mazzura is an Art Nouveau family house from the first half of the 20th century on the mainland of Tisno and a legacy of the wealthy Tisno family named Mazzura. The history of the Mazzura family is tracced from Luka, who moved from Kistanje to Tisno around 1740 and married a woman from Tisno, taking on his and his wife's surnames, so they were also called Mazzura Marov. This family largely managed the public and political scene of the region, which is evidenced by the numerous positions of power held by their surnames, as well as the farm building within the villa for the accommodation of their employees. One of the most prominent members was Dr. Šime Mazzura, who left his mark on Croatian journalism, law and politics throughout the 19th and 20th centuries.
SECESSION BUILDING WITH SPECIAL FLOOR PLAN
Although they had several houses, Villa Mazzura is different from other villas built at the same time, primarily because of its L-shaped floor plan.
The family owned numerous vineyards and olive groves, and a little later they engaged in shipbuilding and fishing. What made this family famous in Tisno and beyond was the production of candles, that is, the wax factory opened in 1824. In 1828, Ivan Mazzura married Marijeta Lubin from Trogir, who had numerous merchants and priests in her family, which greatly helped the family waxworks to flourish economically. Data indicate that this summer house by the sea was built in 1910, and its owner was Lav Mazzura. After Lav's death in 1930, ownership was taken over by the heirs of Šime and Krste. Not long after the Second World War, the villa was confiscated, and the property was transferred to the Municipality of Šibenik, that is, to the Local People's Committee of the Municipality of Tisno. Later, the villa’s property was used as vacation spot, made possible by its unique construction.
BEAUTY OF HISTORY
A huge lawn decorated the garden, and the semicircular part of the house on the south side stood out. Large curved balconies, floral ornaments made of wrought iron and freely developed wall surfaces characteristic of Art Nouveau construction. Certainly suitable for a powerful family such as the Mazzura family.
Sources:
Josip Ćuzela, Ivo Šprljan (2019) Otok Murter: pogled na baštinu. Općina Tisno.
Branko Pavlov (2021) Tisno i Tišnjani kroz stoljeća.
