NATURE AND HERITAGE

 

Croatia can be proud of it`s six cultural, historical and natural sights registered in the UNESCO's registry of world monument heritage.

These are:
Basilica of Euphrasius in Porec,
Diocletian's Palace in Split,
the old town square in Trogir,
the Sibenik cathedral,
the beautiful old town of Dubrovnik
and the National Park Plitvice Lakes..

 

 

 

 

THE EUPHRASIAN BASILICA IN POREČ
The Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč is one of the best preserved monuments of early Byzantine art in the Mediterranean. It was erected in the 6th century in Poreč, during the time of Bishop Euphrasius. Though it is somewhat smaller than the remaining preserved basilicas of the same period, it is unique in that it is the only church of its type with the original structure preserved.
The main structure of the complex is the three nave basilica, with the central nave wider and taller and separated from the side naves by two series of arcades. All three naves end in semi-circular apses, while in the main apse, taller and wider than the other two, is the ciborium. In the northeastern corner of the basilica, the trefoil Memorial Chapel is connected with an elliptical vestibule, while the external vestibule is connected with the spacious quadratic atrium. On the western side of the atrium is the octagonal baptistery.

In the region between the northern side of the atrium and the seashore, a second large church was built at the same time, with its axis vertical to the axis of the main basilica, and new additions were made during the Middle Ages, when it was transformed into the Bishop’s Palace. Much later, the remaining structures of the complex came into being. In the 18th century, the entire complex suffered significant damage, many sections were destroyed and the complete restoration was conducted following World War II.

The Euphrasian Basilica is richly ornamented in the Byzantine style of mosaic (which, with the mosaic of the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna represent the most significant examples of mosaic art in Europe). The basilica is also ornamented with incrustations, stucco and plaster.

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DIOCLETIAN’S PALACE IN SPLIT
Diocletian, the Roman Emperor, spent the final years of his life near Aspalathos in Dalmatia, where he was born. There he built a massive palace, the original architecture of which was altered over time, however, throughout the ages, the overall structure changed very little.
Within the Roman walls, a city developed. Even today, the beauty of the palace peristyles, Diocletian’s mausoleum, the Temple of Jupiter, the colonnade along the streets, the early Christian churches, the Romantic houses, the gates by Andrija Buvina and the architectural works of Juraj Dalmatinac.
This historical core of today’s Split was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1979.

 

 

 

 

THE ROMANTIC CITY OF TROGIR
Trogir was established by the Greek colonists from the Island of Vis in the 3rd century B.C.
Upon this historical site lies the historical core of the Trogir Old Town, the best preserved Romantic-Gothic city in central Europe.
The medieval Trogir Old Town, surrounded by walls, unites the well preserved castle and tower and numerous structure and palaces from the Romantic, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods.
The most significant structure is the Trogir Cathedral, with its portal of the west gates, a masterpiece by Radovan, the most significant example of Romantic-Gothic art in Croatia.

 

 

 

 

THE ŠIBENIK CATHEDRAL
The Cathedral of St. Jakov (St. Jacob) in Šibenik is a triple nave basilica with three apses and a cupola (height of interior is 32 m). The cathedral construction began in the Venetian Gothic style, and was completed in the Toscano Renaissance style. It was consecrated in 1555. The construction began in 1431 at the place where a small cathedral had earlier stood, and as such, the cathedral was built using much of the material of the former church. In the first phase of construction, the Italian masters Francesco di Giacomo, Lorenzo Pincino and Pier Paolo Bussato participated, together with the domestic master stonecutters Andrija Budčić and Grubiš Šlafčić (longitudinal walls and both portals).
In 1444, Juraj (Matejev) Dalmatinac took over the construction. Under his leadership, both side naves, the sanctuary, the apse ornamented with a wreath of 74 heads (considered to be a portrait of the eminent citizens of Šibenik) and the sacristy were erected. Nikola Firentinac continued the construction (with the completion of the side naves, the cupola and the project of the stone ceiling vaults). Following Firentinac’s death in 1505, the Cathedral was finally completed by Bartolomeo and Giacomo de Mestre. The Šibenik Cathedral has no masonry elements, and the walls, vaults and cupola are constructed in a simple manner (first used by Juraj Dalmatinac) where the entire unit of precisely cut stones are fit together, a method used in the masonry craft. The gable of the main façade was built in the form of a trefoil, as one of the oldest in Europe and naturally continued as part of the triple nave structure of the church, in harmony with the shape and size of the arcs. Within the Cathedral, several altars are present in the naves, with two rows of galleries about the side naves.

The cross on the altar of the Holy Cross, dating back to 1455, was made by Juraj Petrović. On the altar of the Holy Three Kings, there are two marble reliefs depicting angels, the work of Nikola Firentinac and the painter Bernardin Ricci. The statue of the prophet is the work of Pavao Gospodnetić and was made in 1594. The carved pulpit is the work of Jerolim Mondel (1624). On the altar of St. Fabian and St. Sebastian is a painting of Filip Zaninbertia. The main altar, the Mother of Tears, dates back to 1630. The Šibenik Cathedral was listed among the UNESCO World Heritage Monuments in 2000.

THE DUBROVNIK HISTORICAL OLD TOWN
Dubrovnik is a city of exceptional history, and is a world renowned monument of heritage and beauty (registered among the UNESCO World Heritage Monuments). It is also one of the most attractive and famous cities on the Mediterranean.
The city walls of the Dubrovnik Old Town encompass a complex of public and private, sacral and secular constructions from all periods of the city’s history, beginning from its very inception in the 7th century. Of particular significance are Stradun, the main city street, the Rector’s Palace, the Church of St. Vlaho (St. Blaise), the Cathedral, the three large convents, and the buildings of the City Hall and Customs Administration. The Dubrovnik Republic represented its own political and territorial entity.

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PLITVICE LAKES NATIONAL PARK
The Plitvice Lakes National Park is comprised of 16 interconnected lakes between Mala Kapela and Pljesivice in Lika.
It is divided into the upper lakes (Proscansko, Ciginovac, Okrugljak, Batinovac, Veliko, Malo, vir, Galovac, Milino, Jezerce, Burgeti and Kozjak) and lower lakes (Milinovac, Gavranovac, Kaludjerovac and Novakovic Brod). The highest in altitude is Proscansko (639m) and the lowest is Novakovic Brod (503m).
The upper lakes, surrounded by dense forest and interconnected by numerous waterfalls, lie in a dolomite valley, while the smaller and shallower lower lakes lie in limestone and are surrounded by sparse yew bushes. The majority of the water in the Plitvice Lakes originates from the White and Black Rivers, which merge into one river south of Proscansko Lake. After the Sastavci Waterfall on the lower lakes, the waters flow into the Korana River. Plitvice Creek also flows into the Korana River, falling from a height of 76 meters.

The upper lakes are separated by dolomite divisions, which grow from the creation of lime in height and in width, follow the limestone barriers. The lime primarily grows in places where the water falls from a particular height, by the crusting of algae and moss with calcium carbonate.

The lower lakes were formed by the erosion of arches over underwater caverns, through which the water from the upper lakes is lost. In the ragged cliffs alongside the lakes and the Korana River, there are 14 caves in the limestone and 6 caves in the limestone barriers (Supljara, Golubnjaca, Mracnjaca, Velika Pecina and others). The first hotel was built in 1861. UNESCO added the Plitvice Lakes to its list of World Natural Heritage in 1979.

source: MVPEI

 

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