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Cathedrals
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| The Adriatic coast and islands are dotted with sacral monuments. Many of them, due to their beauty and artistic value, are part of UNESCO's
World Heritage List. Find out more about them.
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Zadar
cathedral, the church of Sv. Stosija
The current cathedral is a Romanesque structure with three naves, built in two phases, in 12th and 13th century with preserved older version from 9th and 11th century, which was erected on the site of early Christian basilica. The start of the building of the Zadar cathedral goes far back into the past, back to the 4th or 5th century. The first known name of a Zadars bishop is Feliks. He was active in two councils: in Aquilea in 381 and in Milan in 390. According to a legend the basilica was dedicated to St. Peter the Apostle, but when Zadar bishop Donat got the powers from Byzantine emperor Nicefor in 9th century, the ashes of martyr Stosija, the basilica was named after her. Zadar bishop Donat ordered the sarcophagus to be made where the remains of St. Stosija are kept and it is kept in the cathedral, at the altar in the northern apse. In November 1202, Venetians conquered the town of Zadar with the help of the knights on the 4th crusade. The cathedral was also greatly damaged then. The renovation of the cathedral took the whole 13th century and when the renovation was finished it was blessed again on May 27, 1285 by archbishop Lovro Periandar. The front with the late Romanesque portals, which has little arcades with pillars in the upper part, was finished in 1324.
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Sibenik Cathedral, Sv. Jakov Church
The construction of Sibenik cathedral, one of Croatia's most important Renaissance architectural monuments, began in 1431 and ended in 1536. The cathedral is completely built from lime-stone and marble from the island of Brac. Since it does not have a bell-tower, its function has been taken over by a tower in the city walls nearby. Its beauty is primarily the result of the work of two masters: Juraj Dalmatinac and Nikola Firentinac. Juraj Dalmatinac's masterwork -the baptistery - harmoniously fuses Gothic elements with Renaissance features. He also had 72 stone portraits placed on the church exterior. Nikola Firentinac, follower of Donatello's school of sculpture, designed its 38m high dome, nowadays regarded as an outstanding accomplishment of Renaissance architecture. Because of its great artistic value, Sibenik Cathedral was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001. |
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Split Cathedral, Sv. Duje Cathedral
This octagonal building, located inside the walls of Diocletian's Palace, served as emperor Diocletian's mausoleum. In the 8th century, the building, from which this emperor once sought to eradicate Christianity, became a Christian cathedral. There are columns decorated with cornices of filigreed refinement in its circular interior, under which there is a crypt, while the richly ornamented entrance door is a wonderful example of the Hellenistic style. The brick dome was originally adorned with mosaics, while the hexagonal 13th century pulpit has features of late Romanesque architecture. The monumental walnut doorway, the work of Andrija Buvina, dates back to 1214. It is divided into 28 parts, framed with plant motifs and depicts scenes from the life of Christ. Sv. Duje Cathedral, as well as other buildings of Diocletian's Palace, are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. |
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Trogir Cathedral, Sv. Ivan Cathedral
This triple-aisled basilica, set on the foundations of an early Christian church destroyed during an Arab invasion, was built mostly in the 13th century, during the Romanesque period. Its vaulted ceiling, however, dates from the 14th century, and has Gothic features. The 16th century bell-tower with its four statues was built in the Mannerist style. The greatest value of Trogir Cathedral lies in its renowned Romanesque portal (1240), the masterwork of one of Croatia's greatest sculptors, master Radovan. This two-piece portal depicts scenes from the Gospel and the birth of Christ. The doorway is filled with scenes of everyday life, pictures of saints and apostles, exotic animals, sirens and centaurs. On the outer edge of the doorway, there are two lions, one on each side, on which are seated Adam and Eve respectively. Trogir Cathedral, as well as the old part of Trogir, are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. |
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Dubrovnik Cathedral
According to local legend, Richard the Lion Heart, on his return from a Crusade, was shipwrecked near Dubrovnik. In order to be spared his life, he vowed to give money for the building of a church. The church built with that money, later destroyed in a catastrophic earthquake, is the foundation of today's Cathedral. The erection of the domed Cathedral in the Baroque style began in the 17th century. Its interior is adorned with paintings by Italian masters belonging to the Raphael school, while Tizian's work Assumption is located on the main altar. Its treasury was one of the richest in Europe until a catastrophic earthquake. A reliquary in the shape of a hand and the works of Dubrovnik goldsmiths from the 11th and 12th centuries have survived to this day. |
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