Cobbled alleys are the symbol of all of the Dalmatian “small towns” and are a true example of using available materials and crafting skills involving the technique of arranging pebbles and groundwork to make the final result withstand the test of time. The cobbles, in the narrow sense, are stone pebbles formed by the sea, and in the broad sense all the rocks built into the roads using the same technique. Only flatter pebbles were chosen to put in with the longer side sunk into the ground so that only a smaller part would stick out. In that way, there was always enough stone left after the road wear. Finer white pebbles were put in local alleys while the bigger rocks of various shapes were put in the roads leading into the fields which also had more traffic. Steeper roads had a dirt path for safer passage of horses and cattle. Mani cobbled streets and alleys in the settlements on Brač also include aesthetically designed motifs indicating that it wasn’t always about hard work but also about creativity.
(Leads toward south and former vineyards, nowadays olive groves, displaying the tradition of drystone wall construction (no bonding material) in the shape of perimeter walls, dumps of removed stones (piles), field houses and paved stair paths. Perimeter walls also had interesting expansions used to effectively drain the rainfall and channel them towards water collection points in order to preserve the roads from erosion, as well as to effectively collect rain water.)
