Palmižana and the Meneghello family
Palmižana and the Meneghello family is a story that has to be told to everyone arriving on Pakleni islands.
When visiting Dalmatia, you will discover many magical spots to admire and explore. We love all of those places dearly and are looking forward to sharing them with you.
However, with some of the places, more than others, we have a very special connection and whenever we visit, we feel emotions of pure love. Let us tell you a little bit more about one of those places. It is a part of the magical Pakleni islands archipelago, situated on the southern side of St Klement island and referred to as Palmižana.
Palmižana is a unique spot, a resort situated on the end of a deep bay. The picturesque combination of white pebble stones, pristine blue sea, and the surrounding lush green vegetation along with a rich cultural heritage, enhance the beauty of this paradise on earth.
Palmižana and the Meneghello family are inseparable when talking about the resort. The beginning of the organized tourism here starts with professor Eugen Meneghello and his family who have dedicated themselves into creating this once remote and rustic place into a paradise of cultural tourism.
Professor Meneghello was an enthusiastic botanist, passionate about the idea of transforming the stone island into a magical garden, full of plants and flowers from all over the world. With his sustaining persistence and effort, the results soon became visible.
His hard work initiated what has become one of the most beautiful arboretums of exotic plants in South Europe, abundant with palm trees, yuccas, agaves and various other plants.
The Meneghello family decided to open a summer house and share their botanical garden with visitors from all over the world. The guesthouse Palmižana Palace was opened in 1909 and has been welcoming more and more curious visitors from all over the world ever since.
Palmižana and the Meneghello family provided necessary relaxation for the mind, body and soul, always creating a special memory.
It was not difficult for one to fall in love with this place. The warm welcome the family was giving to their guests, accompanied by the untouched nature surrounding the guesthouse and the idyllic overlook of the surrounding islands, was the perfect combination needed for a love-at-first-site experience.
Unfortunately, as with many good things, the politics intervened. The work of Professor was abruptly stopped, and his dreams were shattered. The selfless idea of transforming this place into an oasis of peace and nature had to wait for more favorable times.
Despite the rigid communist regime, the familys unique values and tradition were soon continued by the Professor’s youngest son, Juraj Toto Meneghello. Putting a great deal of effort and strength, he slowly and persistently pursued his father’s dream, even during the unfavorable times.
In 1967 a young journalist Dagmar Gebauer came from Zagreb to Palmižana and the Meneghello family not knowing that her heart will soon be captivated by Eugen Toto and that her life will completely change because of love. She traded an exciting life in the cosmopolitan Zagreb and moved to a remote island with no water or electricity supplies.
Even after Totos early death, she pursued Totos dream implementing the cultural and artistic dimension to it along the way. Many sacrifices have been made to transform Palmižana into a unique natural and cultural resort it represents today.
The family tradition is continued by Totos and Dagmars three children, who, each in their own way, individually add to the value of the area.
Throughout the years, Palmižana has become one of the most popular destinations in the area. To this day, it is still gorgeous, magical and mystical as it once was.
Its beauty lies not only in the visible to the eye but also in the history that is preserved in every rock of the area, in the smell of the surrounding plants and in the atmosphere that captivates, creates fond memories, warm feelings, lasting friendships and holds a special place in the hearts of its devoted visitors.