The Sheep Breeding Museum Lubenica
The Sheep Breeding Museum, a volunteer project started by a local rural association “Ruralna otočna grupa” (Eng. the Rural Island Group), is located inside the former parochial house of Lubenice. The museum is a non-profit, non-governmental, and non-political organization, founded with the goal of preserving the material and non-material cultural and historical heritage of Cres. In addition to the permanent exhibition which displays the works and traditions related to shepherding, the organization has also implemented a series of projects focused on the preservation of traditional architecture, revitalization of local economy, introduction of renewable energy sources, environmental protection, ambient design oriented towards landscape interpretation, and the promotion of sustainable tourism on the island.
The permanent exhibition is set to represent a year’s cycle: a visitor’s progress through the exhibition space is also a progress through seasonal activities, which do not necessarily coincide with the calendar seasons but rather with the biological and climatological specificities of this micro-location. Each room is dedicated to one of the seasons and to the works boing done in that period.
Visitors can also see a three-part documentary about sheep skin tanning, sheep shearing, and the making of cheese. The photo exhibition “Judi s Garbina” (Eng. “The People from Garbin”) by Dražen Lapić is set in a separate room. The exhibition is a tribute to the inhabitants of Garbin, the western part of Cres, who have managed to preserve their traditional shepherding ways.
The renovated former parochial house complex represents a unique piece of rural and urban architecture. The yard is used as an open space for events and for socializing with visitors. The souvenir shop on the ground floor offers a choice of the museum’s publications and souvenirs, as well as hand-made wool items produced by other Croatian associations and individuals.
OPENING HOURS
5 October – 14 May: open on request
15 May – 3 October: MON-FRI 10-14 and 17-20; SAT 9-14; SUN closed
Entrance is free of charge.