Franciscan monastery (1480) at Kosljun Island, Croatia
Kosljun is a tiny island in Puntarska Draga bay off the coast of Krk, facing Punat, in the Adriatic Sea, Croatia. It is approximately 300 meters in diameter and covers an area of hectares, but is rich in vegetation. The only inhabitants are a group of Franciscan monks living in St. Mary's Monastery. The earliest known settlement on Kosljun was a Roman villa rustica belonging to a landowner of the Roman settlement on Krk (Croatian: Curicum). The next solid evidence of inhabitation is a written record from 1186 implying the existence of a Benedictine abbey built on its foundations. This was abandoned in 1447, and the Frankopans moved in Franciscans in their place. The present church was built by the Franciscans in 1480. The Benedictines remained on the island until the 15th century. After the death of the abbot Dominik, a Venetian priest held the title of Abbot of Kosljun, and the island was abandoned. A pair of Franciscan monks complained to the Pope that the monastery was sitting empty. At their request, the Benedictine monastery was abolished and the island of Kosljun given to the Franciscans, whose monastery remains today.
Size: 5760px × 3840px
Location: Kosljun, Puntarska Draga Bay, Krk Island, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia, Balkans, Europe
Photo credit: © DE ROCKER / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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