Svetac is situated 14 nautical miles (26 km) from Komiža (a town on the island of Vis). It is uninhabited, although it used to have permanent residents. Approximately 300 meters off the south-west coast of the island there is the islet of Kamnik, and farther on the open sea there is the volcanic island called Jabuka.[1] About 2.5 kilometres (1.3 nautical miles)[2] to the southeast there is the small volcanic island of Brusnik.
History
Svetac was inhabited in prehistoric era, as evidenced by archeological remains, the oldest of which were found in Tovorski bod, a cave in the south part of the island.[3] A Benedictine monastery built on the island was abandoned in late 15th or early 16th century.[4] In 1760, a small pine tar factory was opened.[5] After the pine forest on the island was completely cut down, the factory was closed, and Svetac was acquired by members of Zanki family, who settled there.[5] The population census on Svetac from 1951 was around 60, all members of Zanki family. The last one of the group who lived there all year round was Antonija Zanki, an elderly woman who died in 2001.[3] Now members of Zanki family effectively live there four to six months a year, from late spring to autumn,[3] still keeping up the houses of their grandfathers, fishing, making red wine and olive oil. Most of members of Zanki family who own this, biggest private island in Adriatic, live in Komiža now (14 nm east). Svetac island is in open seas, without any natural protected bay, and members of the Zanki family survived there for centuries.[6]
Environment
Svetac is a breeding ground for a small number of Eleonora's falcons, a rare bird with only c. 40–80 nesting pairs estimated to live on the outer Croatian Adriatic islands.[7][8] The falcons migrate to Madagascar every September and return to their nests in April.[3]
