Krka monastery

Kistanje, Croatia

Krka Monastery is the best known monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Croatia and it is officially protected as part of the Krka National Park.

The oldest extant mention of the monastery was in 1345, when it is listed as an endowment of princess Jelena Nemanjić Šubić, half-sister of the Serbian emperor Dušan and wife of Mladen III Šubić Bribirski, Croatian duke of Skradin and Bribir. The Catholic monastery was built on top of a Roman site, and Roman burial catacombs exist beneath a part of the church.

The current church of St. Archangel was erected in 1422 on the location of an earlier Gothic structure. Ottoman Turks devastated the church around 1530 but it was restored on several occasions. Other monastery buildings (18th–19th century), the church, and the bellfry are situated around a rectangular cloister with arcades.

In mid-17th century monks were forced to flee from the Ottomans and found shelter in Zadar, where pope Innocent X in 1655 gave them two churches, that had previously been in possession of Franciscans of the Third Order, named 'Glagolitians' (glagoljaši) . In a subsequent agreement with the Franciscans, the monks declared that they 'live in the service of the Greek Church, the old illyrian language.'

After Operation Storm in 1995 the monastery was looted, but not significantly, as it was protected by the Croatian authorities, abandoned, and the seminary shut down and relocated to Divčibare and, later, Foča. The monks returned in 1998, however, and the seminary reopened in 2001.

The belltower of this monastery was built in the Romanesque style. The complex also includes a chapel of Saint Sava built in the 19th century, under the tutelage of the Serbian Orthodox Bishop of Dalmatia Stefan Knežević, as well as a new building of the seminary and an additional dormitory building. The monastery has its archives and a library with a variety of ancient books and valuable items from the 16th to the 20th century, a collection of wooden icons (St. John the Baptist from the 14th or 15th century, work by the so-called Master of the Tkon Crucifix), silverware and embroideries.

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Details

Founded: 14th century
Category: Religious sites in Croatia

More Information

en.wikipedia.org

Rating

4.7/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Marina Perin (16 months ago)
We visited the Monastery as part of our tour of the Krka National Park and it was an amazing experience; we learned about the church, about religion and the catacombs. The guide who explained was well-informed and patient.
Lizzy Schmitz (17 months ago)
Active monastery with ancient crypt (with bones from BC times, small chapel with gorgeous walls and ceiling paintings. Very informational tour.
Jon Newbury (17 months ago)
Peaceful monastery which is also now a school, with training for both monks and priests. There is a short guided tour of the catacombs which are beneath the church and carved from what started as a natural cave. Guides are super helpful and friendly. The site sits in an isolated valley and there is a short circular walking trail around the water. Boats do apparently travel the route from Roski Slap, although the steps and pier looked a little neglected on our visit. The site is also rather small, which makes the journey possibly not essential for some. Parking is very limited if travelling by car. Access is included in the price of a ticket to Krka National Park.
Wendy Hansen (18 months ago)
Very interesting history of the monastery and its history. Well worth a visit.
Active Destination (19 months ago)
Fantastic Monastery and church, great trail around Monastery. Peaceful river Krka, green scenery..
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