Palagruža is a small, remote group of islands and rocks in the open Adriatic Sea—closer to Italy than to the Croatian mainland. On the main island stands a striking lighthouse, built in 1875, the largest in the Adriatic. Its original light mechanism, crafted in Paris by Henry Lepaute in 1873, is still in operation today.
These islands hold a wealth of archaeological finds from the Neolithic, Greek, Roman, and early medieval periods. Among them is a painted Greek potsherd from the 6th century BC bearing the name Diomed, fueling speculation that the Greek hero Diomedes—survivor of the Trojan War—may have been buried here.
Apart from the lighthouse keepers, Palagruža remains uninhabited—a solitary, windswept outpost in the middle of the sea.
