In the island of Korčula, off the Dalmatian coast, in Croatia

 “In a life of ceaseless exploration, Marco Polo pushed out the borders of his narrow medieval world.” -- Nick McCarty

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(off the Dalmatian coast, in Croatia) Rich in vineyards, olive groves and small villages, and harboring a glorious Old Town, the island of Korčula stretches nearly 47km (~29 mi.) in length. Dense pine forests led the original Greek settlers, who colonized it some 2,400 years ago, to call the island Korkyra Melaina (Black Corfu). The island was subsequently occupied by the Romans, Goths, Slavs, Byzantines, and Genoese; the kings of Hungary and Croatia and the Bosnian dukes resided here; and such powers as Russia, France, Britain, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire have held the island. It passed to Yugoslavia after World War I. Yugoslav Partisans recovered it from the Germans in 1944–45. Most inhabitants of Korčula now earn their livelihood from fishing, agriculture (grapes and olives), and quarrying (white marble). Wild jackal hunting is an island specialty. The main settlement, Korčula, stands on a rock headland near the eastern end of the island. A plague devastated the town in 1529, depleting the population. (Korčula is the reputed birthplace of the traveler Marco Polo around 1254, and is quite a popular tourist resort.)