THE MARITIME AREA AROUND THE ISLAND OF PALAGRUŽA 

During the prehistoric and ancient periods, the isolated island of Palagruža, located almost in the middle of the Adriatic Sea, played a key navigational role in linking the two sides of the Adriatic and served as a way stop along the route connecting the east and west coasts. It most likely contained a shrine dedicated to Diomedes, which is not surprising as the cult of Diomedes was closely associated with naval trade. The island kept this role during later periods as well and Austria-Hungary constructed a lighthouse there in 1875. It comes as no surprise then that its seabed is littered with shipwrecks from Antiquity, the Middle Ages as well as the Modern Period. The majority of these wrecks are located near Pupak shallows, situated 4 miles to the east of Palagruža, which are extremely dangerous for seafarers.