In 1708, the three brothers, who were descended from a noble family of Marchi, built a castle here in order to protect the island and the surrounding area from the Ottomans and the pirates. However, the true values which were presented to Šolta by John-Peter, George and John Marchi were in fact vision, art and culture which were brought here from the European capitals of enlightenment.
In 1703, the three Marchi brothers got permission from the Venetian authorities to build a tower, a village and a church above the bay of Maslinica. At the time, pirate attacks were becoming frequent and, with considerable efforts of the colonists, two years later a castle was erected together with defence walls and a prominent tower as the last point of defence...
After the Morean War, at the end of the 17th century, brothers Ivan Petar, Juraj and Ivan Marchi submitted their plan for the colonisation and defense of the western bays of Šolta to the Republic of Venice. They sent a request to Governor Alvis Mocenigo III to build a tower in the bay of Maslinica on Šolta, surrounded by a village with a church.
The Venetian authorities approved the colonisation of the remote bays because the new settlers farmed and cultivated the neglected land and, in case of pirate attacks, they defended the port and the inland areas of the island. By a decree issued on August 25 in 1703, Venice gave its permission for the construction of the tower, village and a church and allotted 200 acres of land. Not many inhabitants were capable of work because grown men were recruited to the army or worked as oarsmen on the galleys. Therefore, the rugged land was mostly cultivated by women, children and the elderly. The depopulation of Šolta, the exposure to pirate attacks and the vicinity of the Turkish border near Split have all contributed planned colonisation. The Marchi brothers brought people from the continental parts of the region like Dalmatinska Zagora, Zaostrog and Prugovo.
The castle and the home of the Marchi family, where Martinis Marchi Heritage Hotel is situated today, reflects a progressive thinking of the noble Marchi family. This is still characterized as a place of light, peace and contemplation. The untouched nature of Šolta and the nearby islands offer a glimpse of secluded private coves, a turquoise clear sea and all the omnipresent green and blue colours of the Mediterranean.
Once you are on Šolta, you will feel this aromatic chord of rich simplicity and calmness everywhere around you… for this is Šolta, and this is Martinis Marchi Heritage, a perfect place for creating eternal memories.