Lovely little cottage Aristaeus is a perfect romantic destination located in the heart of the island. Beside the possibility of a long-lost romance found, Aristaeus will help you restore your energy and finally find yourself, if you’ve been lost along the way by any chance.
Cottage Features
Cottage Aristaeus was originally built around 1880, at the height of wine production in the history of Hvar. It was made by local stone carvers using local stone built in almost cement-free manner with local red sand and lime, covered in flagstone. Owned in the past by the local Carić-Bujas family, it was primarily used as a village shop called Butiga by locals and wine storage, which was noticeable from the architectural viewpoint. It was not used in the last 50 years, so the flagstone roof collapsed. The house and the village are part of the national rural heritage and are protected for their architectural significance.
After being acquired by the present owner in 2022, the (Butiga) house, now Cottage Aristaeus, was reconstructed with the aim of achieving two ideals:
1. preserving the original layout and building in traditional natural materials;
2. safeguarding the modern needs of living.
From the outside, the cottage was isolated and stabilized, a new and well-constructed roof was made, and all stone works were done by top local artisans in a traditional manner.
Cozy and traditionally built, using predominantly stone and wood, peaceful and intimate, this cottage is indeed perfect for lovers, but also lovers of nature, rural life, and some nice high village frequencies.
Interior design is based on an open space concept connecting the kitchen, dining, and living area in one space with a cast iron staircase to the gallery as a sleeping area. Two big windows and a huge door enable a lot of light inside. Air conditioning and a ceiling ventilator are part of the summer comfort, aided by the 60-centimeter-thick traditional walls, which enable a relaxed living environment. The ground floor covers 40 m2, comprising a six-square-meter bathroom and a kitchen and living room area.
A cast-iron inner staircase covered with wooden oak stairs leads you from the ground floor to the gallery.
The sleeping area of the gallery spans across 17m2 under a wooden roof. It offers a very charming and intimate atmosphere, a matrimonial bed (160x200) with a comfortable mattress. There are also simple wooden night tables and lamps. A clothes horse, an old-fashion movie theatre foldable chair, and luggage/shoes stand are additional furniture.
The house is furnished with a combination of both modern and antique furniture. The modern IKEA kitchen is combined with an art deco cupboard made of natural chestnut wood from the 1880’s paired with other details of the same style.
When you enter the cottage, on the ground floor you will find the living area part with a huge sofa, which can serve as an additional bed if really needed, a tea table, two colonial armchairs made of ratan and solid wood, and an Afghan carpet. The living room area is also furnished with a 100-year-old, handmade, chestnut antique cupboard, a TV, and an iron cast sewing machine base covered with a marble tabletop which is used as a console.
The whole space is equipped with a ceiling ventilator and air conditioning.
Paintings on the walls with Mediterranean motives are by Croatian academic painters Željko Bubalo and Zlatko Kauzlarić Atač.
A piece of the 2000-years-old ancient Greek amphora is placed on the windowsill as a historical artefact extracted from the ancient commercial seaways along the island.
In front of the house, you’ll find the already mentioned 30 m2 stone yard terrace. The cottage and the terrace are facing south and offer an open view towards the southern mountain ridge and western rural scenery specked with olive groves, lavender fields, and pine woods, but also a view of the neighboring houses in the village.
Equipped with two leisure deck chairs, a garden table, and three chairs made from oriental acacia wood and a huge sunshade which provides comfort, this terrace could easily become your favorite part of the property. As a part of traditional Mediterranean terrace environment, terracotta containers with typical plants (ficus, cycas, rosemary, hydrangea, dracaenas, different succulents, agava….) are an important part of the terrace scenography. The terrace does not have a pool, but it has an outdoor shower! A stonewall safeguards your intimacy while simultaneously blending in with the surrounding nature and tranquil village atmosphere.
A free of charge public parking is about 50 m from the house and is situated in one of the traffic free village streets.
Vrisnik is in general a very peaceful mainland village, at an equal distance from both beach areas – southern (Zavala, Ivan Dolac, Sveta Nedjelja) and northern (Jelsa, Vrboska, Basina). The location of the cottage is adequate for hiking or cycling, as lots of old picturesque rural roads are available all around. Last but not least, cottage Aristaeus offers a possibility of sea kayak use.
All this sounds as one hell of a holiday for us :)
