Šarić House – Branko Šotra Gallery It is located near the Čaršija, the former main crossroads of traders, travelers, tourists, vendors and restaurateurs, and represents an important part of the cultural and historical heritage of Stolac. It was built between 1734 and 1735, and is associated with the prominent Muslim Šarić family, one of the oldest and most important families in Herzegovina and Stolac.
Šarići was built in the first half of the 18th century. century raised valuable endowments and were the first captains of the Stolac Captaincy. He stands out among them Ismail-captain, who made a significant contribution to the development of Stolac by building a mosque, a sibjan-mekteb, a tavern and several shops.
In 1963, Sarajevo Art gallery founded its first branch precisely in Stolac, its hometown Branka Šotre, one of the most important graphic artists of the former Yugoslavia. The gallery, located in the Šarić House, bore his name. The permanent exhibition consisted of 92 of Šotra's prints, which he donated to the Art Gallery in Sarajevo in the late 1950s. Šotra was known for his prints with striking black and white contrasts. In his early works, he depicted scenes from war events, while later he devoted himself to motifs of the Herzegovina karst, mountains and portraits of old people.
In 1948, Šotra was elected professor and rector of the Academy of Applied Arts in Belgrade, further establishing his importance in the art world.
The Šarić House suffered extensive damage in 1993 when it was set on fire, and its artworks were confiscated by the authorities. The restoration of this historic building was completed in 2012 as part of the project ARCH – Stolac, which was funded by the European Union. Today, the Šarić House, as a witness to the rich history and artistic heritage of Stolac, continues to enchant visitors with its historical significance and the stories it hides within its walls.
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