Agave Strings "Knitted" Recognition for Hvar

Hvar island still cherishes tradition which brought out one of the most original Croatian souvenirs. Lace made of agave leaves strings has been made on Hvar island since the 19th ct when Croatian seafarers brought it there from Tenerife. Hvar town since then has a lace tradition at its Benedictine monastery where crocheting was taught at Girls' school. The whole procedure begins with agave leaves gathering and extracting strings one meter long. They are being processed after that and then the lace making begins. With this souvenir Hvar got a place on UNESCO List of Intangible Cultural Heritage. Croatia is European leader in the number of elements on that list. Hvar lace, together with the lace from Pag and Lepoglava is one of the 7 intangible cultural heritage elements having UNESCO recognition.