The town of Makarska is an interesting and dynamic tourist resort, but unfortunately the historical events in the area which had succeeded one another have destroyed or damaged the great part of the cultural monuments in the region.
The Illyrians were the first to build their settlements. On the Casterius Roman empire map from the 4th century, it is mentioned the port of Aronia and it is the first record of Makarska. We find the name Muccurum in the documents of the synode in Salona (533), in which period the town's diocese was founded.
In the beginning of the 7th cent. the area was settled by the Slavonic tribes. They established Neretva Principality and Makarska was its administrative centre. In the 12th century the Principality was incorporated in the Croatian Kingdom, but at the end of the 15th century it came under the Venetian rule. Turks conquered the town at the end of the 15th century and they surrounded it by walls with three towers which unfortunately haven't been preserved. Up to the end of the 18th century the town was under the town down in 1648. At that time Makarska came rules of Venice or Turkey, and the late ones burnt the under the rule of Austria. From 1805 to 1815 the town was under the rule of France which was a short, but very favourable period because Makarska experienced cultural, social and economic development. In 1815, by Vienna congress, Makarska came again under the rule of Austria-Hungary till 1918.
Between the twoWorld Wars, Makarska was getting the present-day appearance. There were few attempts of industrialisation at that time, but agriculture, trade and fishing have remained the main economy. In 1914 the first hotel was built, the present "Osejava" which may be considered as the beginning of the commercial tourism in the area, along with the founding of Town Embellishment Association" in 1922
.       The town of Makarska has rich history and though many historical monuments are prove of importance of Makarska during history.
The Franciscan monastery (16th century) houses a large library with numerous books and rare incunabula's and a famous, world known collection of shells from all over the world, presented in Malacological Museum founded in 1963.
The most significant monuments in the main square are St. Mark's Cathedral (17th century) and a statue dedicated to the friar Andrija Kacic-Miosic (1704-1760), a popular national writer, author of "Pleasant Conversation of the Slavonic People". The statue is the work of the famous croatian sculptor Ivan Rendic.
Next to the cathedral there is a Venetian drinking·fountain, built in 1775.
On the very coast there is St. Philip's Church (18th century). St. Peter's church (from the 13th century, situated on the homonymous peninsula, has been rebuilt in 1993.
There is also Napoleon monument, erected in the honour of the French Marshall Marmont in 1808 standing in the western part of Makarska.
Other architectural sights that deserve to be mentioned are the baroquepalace of the Ivanisevic family, located in the eastern part of the old nucleus of Makarska, the late baroque villa of the eminent Tonolli family which today houses the Town Museum, and a multitude of richly ornamented facades of family houses, mostly built in the times of Venetian rule.