BATANA FLATBOATS AND BITINADA SONGS

Life in Rovinj has always been inextricably linked to the sea. The town’s centuries-old fishing tradition has been preserved until today, as the harmony between the citizens living in the old town and the coastal Adriatic landscape became symbolized by the batana. The batana is a wooden flatboat of 4-6 meters in length and the commonest type of vessel in Rovinj. This boat is regarded as a tangible embodiment of the customs, traditions, language, habits, mentality and spiritual atmosphere of Rovinj and its citizens.The tradition of building batana boats is inseparable from the musical tradition of Rovinj, namely bitinada songs, Rovinj folk songs representing an authentic musical expression voices instead of instruments.. The Batana House Eco Museum, devoted to the wooden boat, is listed in UNESCO’s Register of the world’s best practices for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage.