Construction of the Town Hall Complex in Korčula and Dalmatian Classicisms of the 16th Century

Abstract

The Town Hall complex in Korčula, dating from the first quarter of the 16th century, stands as one of the most prominent examples of public architecture in the Eastern Adriatic. Despite this, it has not been the subject of dedicated analyses in historiography. Based on newly discovered documents from the State Archives in Zadar, this paper establishes a precise construction chronology of individual parts of the complex, identifies their authors, compares archival records with its current state, and offers a comparative analysis of the building. The decision by the City Council to construct a new loggia with an adjacent chancellery was made in 1521, followed by the contract signed in 1523 with stonemason Marko Radinović for building the loggia. According to this contract, all carved elements of the loggia, the courtyard portal next to it, and the western arch of the chapel of Our Lady of Snow can be attributed to Radinović. Two years later, a contract was signed with stonemason Marko Milić Pavlović for the carving of all stone elements of the new chancellery next to the loggia and the town council chamber on the first floor. Mason Blaž Curlić was contracted the same year (1525) to build the complex using uniform ashlars. The paper contextualises the complex within the broader architectural production of the Adriatic basin during this period, concluding that it was a local interpretation of Renaissance classicism, closely aligned with achievements in Italy’s Marche region.