Blato is a municipal centre with about 4,000 inhabitants, reached by the main island road from Smokvica through the forests in the middle of the island Korcula. The village was amphitheatrically built on several hills around a small central valley. A long avenue of lime trees called Zlinj runs through it, along which public buildings were more recently built: school, hotel, bank, shops, municipal building, medical centre etc.
In the old centre south of Zlinj the church of All Saints (Svi Sveti) with a nave and two aisles stands on a large paved square. Documents mention it in the early Middle Ages, but later is was reconstructed several times. The present appearance and bell tower beside it are from the 17th -18th centuries, the Baroque period. On the main altar is the painting All Saints by the Venetian artist Girolamo Da Santa Croce, from 1540. Beside the altar are precious late-Renaissance carved choir stalls, and in the north aisle an intricately carved large altarpiece frame from the late 16th century. St Vincenca the martyr's chapel was added to the south aisle in the 18th century, with a richly decorated marble altar, her relics and silver liturgical decorations. The day of this saint is on 28 April, and this is the day of the Blato Municipality. A large procession goes around the city, and the ceremonious Kumpanija is danced on the square in front of the church. The building next to the church houses an art collection, valuable, documents, archaeological finds connected to the past of Blato, and especially of this church. On the square in front of the church is an open Baroque loggia with columns built in 1700.
There is a large number of small churches and chapels in the city and the surroundings. The oldest is St. Cosmas and Damian (Sv. Kuzma I Damjan) from the 6th century (Early-Christian), followed by St. Mary in the. Field (Sv. Marija u polju), St. Martin and others. Blato has new houses but also many old ones with paved courtyards, trellis work and sheds. Here, too, there were summer houses of the Korcula nobility, outstanding among which is the Baroque castle Arneri in the town centre. It is to house the regional museum with archaeological, historical and ethnographic collections.
The inhabitants of Blato used to be farmers and craftsmen, today they are increasingly occupied in tourism and other branches of the economy. The Kumpanija Knightly Association is very active, cultivating the ritual sword dance with the same name and folk dancing, singing and the like. The Petar Milat cultural and performing society also nurtures music and folk dancing, and there are also many harmony-singing groups, brass bands and soon.
An asphalt road to the north shore passes through the old and new grave-yards and leads to the large Prigradica harbour, were there is a hotel, several summer houses and small pensions beside the sea, and fine beaches nearby. Several modern Croatian artists, cultural workers, scholars and musicians were born in Blato.
Blato is a municipal centre with about 4,000 inhabitants, reached by the main island road from Smokvica through the forests in the middle of the island Korcula. The village was amphitheatrically built on several hills around a small central valley. A long avenue of lime trees called Zlinj runs through it, along which public buildings were more recently built: school, hotel, bank, shops, municipal building, medical centre etc.
