Exploring the Charm of Villa Palma on Molonta Heritage Estate: A Glimpse into Authentic Mediterranean Living - Our Story
- Sanja Metković
- Oct 13, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Nov 19, 2025
Why VILLA PALMA is the Ultimate Mediterranean Experience
Stories are an integral part of our lives. We love hearing them from childhood to old age. They spark our imagination, entertain us, teach us, and shape who we are. That's why it's crucial to consider the stories we tell, what we talk about, who we tell them to, and why.
Stories, whether recent or from long ago, experienced, lived, remembered, and then written down, become eternal reminders of life's true values. Photographs capture fleeting moments in time and serve as companions to these stories.
When it comes to tourism, when we seek out that "something special," authentic stories are key to creating a unique experience. They allow us to learn about the culture, history, and sometimes the personal life stories of the places and homes we visit. They help us understand local customs and traditions and gain a deeper insight into what makes a particular place special and unique, allowing us to discover hidden gems that can enhance the value of our vacation, our journey, and create unforgettable memories.
Moreover, authentic stories help create an emotional connection with the place we visit. Travel is an emotional experience, and travelers want to create lasting memories. When stories are told in an interesting and engaging way, travelers can connect with the place and form a deeper bond with it. This helps build trust and loyalty to the destination, which can lead to repeat visits and recommendations to others.
You too can create your own authentic stories, tell them and retell them, add to them and continue...
I'll share the story of the Metković family, a family with hundreds of tales to tell. The most intriguing aspect is that their own history is documented in the book, "History of the Metković, Family of Mikulići, Croatia," available on the bookshelf at Villa Palma.
Our narrative begins in the southernmost part of Croatia, where the Adriatic Sea, resembling liquid azure, gently cradles the Konavle cliffs. Hidden within this divine embrace, where the elements intertwine, lies Villa Palma. As if shielded by nature's most intimate embrace, it's protected from unwanted eyes while revealed to those seeking tranquility and unspoiled beauty.
Here, in this oasis of serenity and beauty, our family has cultivated a rich history over generations, interwoven with arduous labor, unwavering dedication, love, passion, and immense patience. Stone by stone, tree by tree, plant by plant... a haven of paradise was created on 48,000 square meters of land, an estate adorned with olive trees, carob trees, oranges, and Mediterranean flora.
Our ancestors subsisted on the land, cultivating olives and producing exceptional olive oil. The work was arduous, yet rewarded with the exquisite taste and aroma of the oil that nourished the family and enriched their lives.
The stone from these hills was another gift from nature. Our ancestors harnessed its strength and beauty, employing it to construct their homes, churches, and other structures. Stone symbolized permanence and resilience, a testament to the strength of the family and community.
Twenty-one years ago, when I married into the Metković family, I had no inkling of the treasure trove I had stumbled upon, the countless life stories I would hear, or the invaluable legacy they had bestowed upon us.
"If only walls could talk..." How often have we uttered or heard this phrase ourselves? Villa Palma has been welcoming tourists since 1966, with brief interruptions ('91-'93 - war, 2020-2023 - complete reconstruction). Given the extensive reconstruction, the architects recommended demolishing the old house and constructing a new one.
We were reluctant to demolish the four exterior walls that remained, even though it was less financially feasible. When we confided in a friend about our dilemma, they offered comforting words, suggesting that we had preserved the "soul of the house." Perhaps they were right, unconsciously, as over 6,000 people have stayed and cherished their vacations in this house since it began renting. If even a single gram of laughter or kindness was left behind, it accumulates significantly, as memories from the past evoke the faces of joyful people, stories, laughter, and merriment... if only walls could talk... I'm certain they would recount the most enchanting romantic and love stories! And indeed, we did preserve the soul of the house!
The Metković family home, constructed in the 1930's by three brothers and two sisters, exemplifies traditional building methods and locally sourced materials. The stone used in its construction was quarried on-site, and the mortar was made from lime produced in kilns that still stand near the beach today. The house's frame and roof were crafted from cypress wood harvested from the family's own property.
Local folklore recounts a tradition where a father, upon the birth of a son, was obliged to plant at least 50 cypress trees. These trees would eventually provide the wood necessary to build a fence around his son's future home when he established his own family. The cypress trees that still grace the property, dark, slender, and proud like Gothic towers, silently bear witness to this tradition and obligation.
These were exceptionally labor-intensive tasks. Summers were dedicated to felling forests to procure sufficient fuel for burning the stone to create lime. During those times, electricity was nonexistent, necessitating manual labor for all tasks. Horses, mules, and donkeys were the sole means of transporting materials like lime, water, and timber to the construction site.
The traditional style of construction was well-suited to the lifestyle of the era. The upper floor of the house was designated for living quarters, while the ground floor housed cellars for storing agricultural products such as wine, olive oil, dried figs, carob, and other crops cultivated on the 48,000 square meter estate.
Income from agriculture funded the construction of the house, as well as contributions from the eldest brother who had emigrated to Argentina to earn money for himself and his family. During that time, many people emigrated to North and South America in pursuit of a better life and to support their families' survival and preservation of their land.
Hard life, arduous work, and frequent wars forced people from this region to leave for the world, so today we have a situation where more Croatians live outside of Croatia than in their homeland, which is also characteristic of our family.
Thanks to them all and the legacy they left us, my husband and I left our jobs in Dubrovnik and decided to return to a new way of life, a return to the land and nature. It was a true feeling of reconnecting with nature, rediscovering our own purpose and inner peace, because man is born from nature and is an integral part of it. What we get in return in the form of gratitude and undisturbed peace that we feel deep within ourselves is priceless for us.
The family has continued with agricultural activities. Today, we produce top-quality olive oil from old trees planted in the 18th century, red wine from the Vranac grape variety, and various products made from organically grown fruit from the villa's gardens (orange and fig marmalade, various liqueurs made from walnuts, carob, loquat, red wine, cherries…).
And the story continues... we continue to tell it and create new ones together with you, believing that you will carry these stories and store them deep in your hearts.
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