This year's Museum Night in Kaštela attracted numerous visitors who had the opportunity to enjoy a diverse cultural program. The central event was held in the Vitturija Castle, where visitors, with expert guidance from Anamarija Bralić and Ivo, were able to walk through the recently opened exhibition "Kaštela at the Turn of the Century, the Story of Pave Ergovac", which, through objects from the Documentary Collection and private documents from the Ergovac family, depicts events from the political, economic and social life of Kaštela, from the late 19th to the mid-20th century.
The exhibition and accompanying catalogue are divided into thematic units that follow the life and work of Pavle Ergovec, a native of Kaštela who, although unknown to the general public, left an indelible mark on Kaštela at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. His work and engagement in archaeology, politics, economy and culture testify to a man deeply dedicated to his region and its history. The organization of this exhibition presents his life and contribution, and his story evokes the layered history of Donje Kaštela during that period – from political turmoil to cultural events and archaeological discoveries that shaped the local community.
The exhibition begins with economic circumstances and presents Pavo as a farmer and landowner. He participated in economic exhibitions at the age of twenty and presented his products at the Jubilee Agricultural and Forestry Exhibition held in Zagreb in 1891. From it, the Diploma, Receipt and the Small Medal diploma, as well as the medal for merit that he won for his wine, oil and fruit products, are exhibited. The next segment introduces Pavo's work on archaeological research organized by the Bihać Society - the Croatian Society for the Research of Local History. On behalf of the society, Pavo led excavations at Miri and in Bijaći, near the Church of St. Martha. Along with documents such as the Excavation Diary, research reports and correspondence of Don Frane Bulić, alfalfa and jewelry found at the site are exhibited. Restorer Ante Jureškin made a cast of one of the found lintels from the Bijaći site - which bears the name of Deacon Gumpertus.
The archaeological site is followed by Pava's work on the school boards during the construction of the new school in Kaštel Novi. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was no specially designed school building in Donji Kaštela, which is why the Municipal Council decided to build a new school building in 1908. The school was called "Jubilee" because of the great celebration of the 60th anniversary of the reign of Emperor Franz Joseph, and it was officially opened in 1911. Visitors can see the minutes of the village assemblies that describe how the decision to build was made, as well as the individual stages of the school's construction. Also on display are items from the Ergovac family, such as Pava's calculation notebook and school certificates. This part of the exhibition emphasizes his pedagogical and social engagement and focuses on the importance of educational development for the Kaštela community.
A significant part of the exhibition focuses on the political circumstances at the turn of the century and Ergovč's involvement in social movements of the time. His role in the Sokol societies, which had a strong physical, cultural and national awareness-raising function in the society of the time, is presented, as well as his work in reading rooms, key institutions of civic and cultural life. A special highlight from this section is a letter from 1895 sent by Dr. Ante Trumbić, in which he asks Pava to gather supporters of the Party of Rights for the needs of organizing the party in the Split and Kaštela areas.
The final part of the exhibition presents objects from private life, including the floor plan of the Ergovac family house, important because it was made by Pave, who, in addition to farming, was also involved in making floor plans for smaller family houses in Kaštela. Also interesting is the list of Pave's sister Katica's dowry, which reveals what a young woman brought to her husband's house and what were the expectations of her in family and home life. The list includes clothing, bedding, table and home textiles, and handicrafts. The document thus reveals women's everyday life, household habits, and values that characterized life in Kaštela at that time.
The authors of the exhibition, catalogue and synopsis for the video are Anamarija Bralić and Iva Prolić. The accompanying illustrations were created by Dominik Žanić, and the video accompanying the exhibition was created by Ivan Jurić. The exhibition is open until February 7th.
Photo: Ivana Topic
