Korcula was first settled by the Greeks, who gave it the name Korkyra Melaina or "Black Corfu" for its dark and densely wooded appearance. The city of Korcula lies beside the sea on the north-east end of the island Korcula. The old medieval part of the city was built on a small oval peninsula, a Baroque suburb spreads under the old city walls, and newer town quarters stretch along the shore to the east and west of the old centre. The Venetians arrived here in the eleventh century, and stayed, on and off, for nearly eight centuries. Their influence is particularly evident in Korcula's old town, which huddles around the Cathedral of St Mark, squeezed into a space between the buildings that roughly passes for a main square. T he cathedral facade is decorated with a gorgeous fluted rose window and a bizarre cornice frilled with strange gargoyles. The interior, reached through a door framed by statues of Adam and Eve, is one of the loveliest in the region, a curious mixture of styles, ranging from the Gothic forms of the nave to the Renaissance northern aisle, tacked on in the sixteenth century. The best of the church's treasures have been removed to the Bishop's Treasury (July & August: daily 10am–noon & 5–7pm; at other times enquire at the tourist office; 10kn), a couple of doors down. This small collection of fine and sacral art is one of the best in the country, with an exquisite set of paintings, including a striking Portrait of a Man by Carpaccio and a Leonardo da Vinci sketch of a soldier wearing a costume bearing a striking resemblance to that of the Moreska dancers. Close by the main square, down a turning to the right, is another remnant from Venetian times, the so-called House of Marco Polo (summer daily 10am–1pm & 5–7pm; 10kn). Korcula claims to be the birthplace of Marco Polo. Today the city has about 3,000 inhabitants, most of them living in new parts of the city. Korcula has many social, cultural, economic and health institutions and organizations: a kindergarten, elementary and secondary school (grammar school), museum, library, medical centre, tourist agencies, banks, pharmacy, hotels, shipyard, shops, restaurants and so on. It also has cultural and performing societies that foster choral singing and folk dancing, and sports societies.