Zadar     What to see in Zadar

Grisogono Palace

This is situated on the corner of Don Ivo Prodan and Ilija Smiljanic Streets. It originally consisted of two Romanesque houses joined by a single-storey wing. During the second half of the 15th century, a second storey with Gothic-Renaissance elements was added. The courtyard with the porch was finished in the 16th century, but with embedded Gothic elements. Today, the Zadar Commission of the State Administration for the Protection of Cultural Monuments is situated on its premises.

Church building dedicated to Our Lady of Health

This is located in front of the park of Our Lady of Health. The picture of Our Lady of Kaštela was kept inside, painted by Blaž Jurjev of Trogir in the 15th century (today it is displayed in a permanent exhibition of church art). It has great prestige and is popular with numerous generations of the citizens of Zadar.

Church of St. Elias

This Eastern Orthodox church is situated on the site of the Roman capitol. It was built in the late Baroque style at the end of the 18th century in the place of the mediaeval church of the same name that was used by the Greeks of the Eastern Orthodox religion, mainly soldiers and sailors. It has a valuable collection of icons from the 16th to 18th centuries.

The King Petar Krešimir IV Promenade

This is an impressive city promenade with views of the Zadar Channel, the islands of Ugljan and Pašman and the open sea to the north-west. It was constructed in 1874 after the demolition of the city walls and the opening of the city towards the sea. Until the year 1906, 18 imposing public and residential buildings together with a dock for fast ships were built. During the bombardment in the Second World War, most of the buildings were destroyed and after renovation were in part replaced by horticulture.

Church of St. Andrew

This is situated at the crossroads of Dalmatinski Sabor Street and Hrvoje Vukcic Street. Together with the church of St. Peter the Elder, which has antique period elements, it is used today as a gallery. The Renaissance façade of the church of St. Marcela from the 16th century is located alongside these buildings.

Croatian Theatre House of Zadar

Located in Široka Street (Kalelarga), the Croatian National Theatre of Zadar was founded in 1945 and was the first institution of its kind in this part of Croatia. The Theatre organizes a number of events among which the Zadar Summer Theatre Festival is already a traditional meeting place for theatre lovers from all over the world.

The Square of the Five Wells

In front of the Captain's Tower and the medieval city walls, there was a deep defensive trench during the 16th century. When the danger of Turkish attacks became imminent, a defensive wall was built instead. A long siege forced the constructors to secure adequate quantities of drinking water for the city. By using the existing water trench, they built a large cistern with five wellheads. Today this is the Square of the Five Wells.

The Aqueduct

This brought water directly from Lake Vrana. With the reduced threat of war in the first half of the 19th century, the Austrian Commander General Welden commissioned the construction of the first public park in Dalmatia on the embankments of the Grimani Bastion. The park with its five wellheads has today been restored and represents the most picturesque part of Zadar.

The Forte fortress

This is situated east of the Land Gate, and was built in about 1567 by the military leader S. Pallavicino, a Venetian mercenary. The fortress was separated from the city and the mainland by defensive channels. Today, Vladimir Nazor Park is to be found inside it. The coastline path next to the fortress leads to the district of Kolovare, where a polygonal well with a cupola was built in 1546 and was used to supply Venetian ships with fresh water.

Church of St. Francis

This Franciscan church is the oldest Dalmatian church built in the Gothic style. A large painting of the Lady of Mercy, dated to the end of the 15th century and attributed to the Venetian painter Lazzaro Bastiani is displayed in the sacristy. The sacristy is significant in Croatian history, as it was the place where the Peace Treaty of Zadar was signed on 18 February 1358 between the Venetian Republic and the Hungarian-Croatian king Louis I Angevin, whereby the Venetians abandoned their claim on Dalmatia.

Cathedral of St. Anastasia

On the site of an ancient Christian basilica dating back to the 6th century, a new basilica with three apses was built in the Romanesque style. This was dedicated to St. Anastasia.

Church of St. Donatus

This is a monumental building in the pre-Romanesque style that Bishop Donatus had built in the 9th century. It has borne his name since the 15th century. Many remains of Roman ruins were used in its construction, and this is why there are parts of Roman temple pillars, cornices and architraves in the foundations. The church was mentioned for the first time in the mid-10th century in documents of the Byzantine emperor Konstantin Porfirogenet.

The church has not been used for religious purposes for a long time. It has excellent acoustics and has therefore been used for musical performances of the famous international festival of medieval and renaissance music "Musical Evenings in St. Donatus" for more than thirty years.

The Archaeological Museum

In the prehistoric collection on display on the second floor, there are interesting ceramic exhibits from the Neolithic era, and many items from Liburnian graves. Exhibitions are often held in the first floor hall, while on the ground floor there are exhibits of church stone furniture from early Christian to Medieval times, as well as old Croatian jewellery and weapons recovered from graves.

Church of St. Mary

This belongs to the Benedictine convent and was founded by the Zadar noblewoman Cika in 1066. She was descended from the most prominent Zadar patrician family – the Madii. According to certain sources, she was the half-sister of the Croatian king Petar Krešimir IV. Frescoes with the characteristics of early Romanesque paintings are still visible on the church walls. The monumental belfry next to the church was built by King Koloman in 1105 AD. This was completely renovated in the middle of the 16th century. Today, a two-wing building with a permanent ecclesiastic art exhibition ‘Gold and Silver of Zadar’ is situated on the site of that part of the convent which was destroyed in the Second World War.

Stomorica

The remains of a church in the shape of six leaves, and which dates back to the 11th century, can be seen beneath the level of the street.

Church  of St. Michael

Mentioned at the end of the 12th century, the church was built in the 14th century in the Romanesque style. A large bas-relief crucifix dating from the 12th century is on display in the church.

The Nassis and Petrizio Palaces

These are examples of impressive late medieval buildings with courtyards with colonnades and a well with a head in the centre. Windows on the facade are in the flowery Gothic style.

Church of St. Dominic

The Gothic Church of St. Dominic is located to the west of the Land Gate. The first university, mentioned in 1396, was part of the monastery.

Citadel

The medieval citadel was built in 1409 to the south-west of the Land Gate. A building with mosaics dating from Roman times used to stand on this same location. Its present appearance has remained the same since the construction of Venetian dungeons in the 18th century.

The Faculty of Philosophy

This is situated in the building of the former Convent of St. Demetrios. After the fortified walls were pulled down in 1875, a whole series of similar buildings were erected, but most were destroyed in the 1943 bombing.

The Land Gate

Once the main entrance into the city, the Land Gate was built according to the layout of the Venetian architect Michele Sanmicheli in 1543. The keystone of the arch bears a relief of St. Grisogono on horseback, the coat of arms of the City of Zadar. Above, is the monumental lion of St. Mark, the coat of arms of the Venetian Republic. A wooden bridge on stone pillars once led from this gate to the so-called Customs Gate, which today is part of a fish restaurant in Foša Harbour, and which is also one of the city's recognisable landmarks.

The Governor's Palace

The Governor's Palace was completed in 1607. Wings were added as a cavalry captain's apartment, as well as courtyards, arcades, etc.

Church of St. Simon

In the 5th century, the Church was dedicated to St. Stephen the Martyr, and in the year 1632 the silver casket of St. Simon was placed in its sanctuary. Since then, the church has been named after him. The gilded casket of St. Simon is the most valuable example of medieval Croatian goldwork. It was made in Zadar by a goldsmith from Milan under the orders of Queen Elizabeth, the wife of the Hungarian–Croatian king Louis I Angevin.

People's Square

This was constructed in Medieval times as the Plateau Magna (great square). It is the heart of the city's secular activities. The Municipal Loggia, built in the 13th century for the purpose of public gatherings still stands on the square. It still preserves the township's measures for weight, length and volume. The building today is the artistic centre of Zadar and has for the last 35 years been the place where international summer shows such as the photography triennial 'Man and the Sea' and the Croatian art triennial 'Blue Gallery' have been hosted. The oldest preserved building on the square is the little Church of St. Lovro (St. Lawrence), which dates from the 11th century. Its interior can be seen from the cafe bar 'St. Lovro'. The building of the Town Guard Loggia, now housing the Ethnological Department of the Regional Museum, is located on the opposite side of the Municipal Loggia. The Ghirardini palace, built in the Romanesque style with a Gothic-Renaissance balcony in the style of the 15th century, is located on the eastern side near the square.

Church of St. Krševan

This is a Benedictine monastery church named after the patron saint. It is a triple-nave basilica with three semicircular apses. The main altar, built in 1701, is in the sanctuary. This represents the fulfilment of the vows made against the plague by the citizens of Zadar. Four marble statues were later erected on it, representing the patron saints of Zadar: St. Anastasia, St. Grisogono, St. Simon and St. Zoilo.

The Port Gate

Above the Gate, there was an arch dating back to Roman times. The name of Melija Anijana is mentioned in connection with the Gate, because she spent six thousand sestercii on erecting the arch and paving the area of the port.

Roman Forum

This is the largest such forum on the eastern side of the Adriatic. The building of the forum was started by the first Roman Emperor Augustus, which is testified to by two stone inscriptions dating from the 3rd century when it was completed. It covered an area of 95 x 45 metres which was enclosed by porches and galleries upstairs. There were shops and workshops underneath the porches. Only the original paving, steps and two decorative monumental columns, one of which is in its original place, have survived to this day. This column was once used as a 'pillar of shame', which is shown by the chains from the period. During the reconstruction of part of the paving of the capitol, the remains of the site of an altar were discovered. It is believed that blood sacrifices took place here. Even today, the forum represents the starting point of urban planning in the city.

Cathedral of St. Anastasia

This is the largest cathedral in Dalmatia, built in the Romanesque style during the 12th and 13th centuries AD. A chronicler wrote in 1177 that the joyous citizens of Zadar had accompanied Pope Alexander III during his procession to the basilica, singing panegyric songs "in their native Slavic language". A belfry was erected alongside the cathedral. This belfry was completed in its present-day form at the end of the 19th century according to the design of the English architect T. G. Jackson.

The People's Museum

The natural sciences section is one of the oldest museums of its kind in Croatia. The fish and ornithological exhibits are extremely numerous, including the well-organized shell and snail collection. The great herbarium of Domenico Pappafava of Zadar, compiled in the 1830s and consisting of around one hundred volumes with over 10,000 kinds of plants from all over the world, is kept in the museum.

The Captain's Tower

This is situated close to the captain's residential quarters and represents a rare example of medieval fortification engineering. At the time of Venetian rule, the city was governed by the city duke and city captain. Zadar was the only Dalmatian city where two people carried out these functions. The Venetians took care of the accommodation of their administrators by building a palace for them. Part of it, in the form of a pentagonal tower, was preserved and reconstructed in modern times.

Gold and Silver of Zadar

The exhibition "Gold and Silver of Zadar", established in 1951 by the Croatian writer Miroslav Krleža, was transformed in 1976 into a permanent display of the Permanent Exhibition of Ecclesiastic Art in the Benedictine Convent of St. Mary in Zadar, one of the most important institutions of Croatian culture. For the opening of the exhibition, Krleža wrote one of his best essays, in which he glorified the treasures of Zadar.

The gold and silver of Zadar shine in an area of about 1,200 m2 in 8 stylishly equipped halls, including the reconstructed interior of the old Croatian Church of St. Nediljica from the 11th century. Also included are manuscripts, sculptures, embroideries, tapestry, reliefs, etc, as evidence of Zadar's rich past from the 8th to 18th century, as a town which was an important cultural center, particularly in the Middle Ages. The joys, hopes, patience, suffering, and faith of this tumultuous era of the region's history are woven into the relics and chalices, sculptures, paintings, and embroideries. This priceless treasure was preserved by Benedictine nuns over the years, including during the Homeland War. Some valuable exhibits (lace and church fabrics embroidered with golden thread) were made by nuns. The extraodinary preciousness, charm, and importance of the exhibits lies in the fact that they are, to a great extent, the works of locally known and unknown masters or are closely connected with Zadar and the Zadar region.

The Permanent Exhibition of Ecclesiastic Art places Zadar among the great cultural capitals, as such collections of valuable and exquisite religious works of art in one place can only be seen in the greatest European centers.

Sources: http://www.zadar.hr

http://www.hoteli-bozava.hr 

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