The patrician family Crijević of Ragusa built the Benedictine monastery on the island in the 15th century.

[6][7] Ludovik Crijević Tuberon, a historian from Ragusa (now known as Dubrovnik), lived here towards the end of 15th century.

In the 16th century, Mavro Vetranović Čavčić, a famous poet from Ragusa, lived on Sveti Andrija as a monk.

The brothers were fishing one night and from the stormy sea they rescued a shipwreck victim, the young patrician Ivan, a member of an influential noble family from Ragusa.

After Mare nursed him back to health they fell in love, but their romance was forbidden, as they came from different classes.

Disappointed, he withdrew from ordinary life and became a monk on the island of Sveti Andrija.

To solve the problem of declining visibility, Ivan would light a lantern on the rock and wait for Mare while she swam towards the signal.