I imagine a person standing with a notebook in hand, gazing at the sun, recording how much time it has spent shining over the island. I’m not far off because that man’s name was Grgur Bučić, a global pioneer and the first meteorological observer. Instead of my imagined notebook and gazing at the sun, Grgur built a proper meteorological station with the task of measuring, among other things, the hours of sun hovering above the island.
The Ultimate Truth: Legend of 2700 Hours of Sunshine per Year
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He built his meteorological station in the space of the former church and hospice of St. Veneranda, which is now a summer stage for numerous performances and festivals. It was one of the first stations in Southeastern Europe and the only one on our islands. Thus, Grgur was among the first to record how much time the sun spent caressing the island, and the myth became a legend. It’s not boasting; we have a 160-year-old document to prove it.
2718 sunshine hours per year, period.
You can explore Grgur Bučić’s natural science collection at the Hvar Museum, located in the Hanibal Lucić Summer Residence. The collection includes old natural science and meteorological instruments, fossils, botanical specimens, herbaria, archaeological artifacts, photographs, diplomas, as well as old and recent natural science books about Hvar, meteorological data about Hvar, and Grgur Bučić’s scientific archives.
