The Interior of the St Nicholas Cathedral in Osor during the 16th Century

Abstract

The St Nicholas Cathedral in Osor is a prominent monument of Renaissance architecture in the Eastern Adriatic, that has thus far been discussed in terms of its architecture and late-quattrocento sculptural decoration. This paper examines the cathedral’s interior from the consecration in 1498 to the beginning of the 17th century and reconstructs the position of altars in the naves of the spacious three-nave basilica. The presented reconstruction is based on the unpublished documents about the furnishing of the cathedral, namely Libro delle Chiese di Ossero (1534) and reports of post-Tridentine visitations (1579, 1603). Data show that the furnishing of the Osor cathedral was particularly intense during the first decades of the 16th century, but the initial enthusiasm weakened in parallel with the decline of the city. In the second half of the century, however, the body of the local patron, St Gaudentius, was transferred from the church dedicated to him to the central altar of the cathedral, which prompted new impetus of commissions. Finally, the author focuses on the baptistery, the sacristy, and the condition of the church interior during the 16th century.