It is not rare for churches of coastal Croatia to have been built together with a monastery. The Church of St. Jerome in the town of Vis is one of such churches. Both it and the monastery were built by the Franciscan monks at the beginning of the 16th century.

While the architecture of the church belongs to the renaissance period it has retained a number of features that tie it to other styles as well. The relief depicting the coat of arms of the Gariboldi family belong to the Renaissance period. The 16th century altar was replaced with a marble 17th century one while the stature of Our Lady was made in the Roccoco style. The mix of stylistic features continues with Baroque influences that can be seen in the main altar of St. Jerome while the church organ was built in the 19th century.

Architecturally the most interesting detail just might be the church’s bell tower. Though it looks like it belongs to the Romanesque era it was in fact built during the Baroque period, since its small windows in the shape of a cross are an 18th century stylistic feature.

Another point of historical interest is that the monastery was built on the remains of an Roman theatre. The stone blocks found there were used in the building of both the church and the monastery, and, together with all other architectural and artistic additions, beautifully weave various ages of history into this location.

This church is a must-see, and you can get to it within ten minutes from the port of Vis.

See more about Island of Vis

№46 of 52 places in Island of Vis
№1981 of 2178 places in Croatia
№12 of 12 Churches and cathedrals in Island of Vis
№261 of 290 Churches and cathedrals in Croatia

Guides in this place

• Geopark Vis Archipelago guide - explore the island paradise