Traces of the Romanesque Style in Šibenik’s Residential Architecture

Abstract

This paper examines the remnants of Romanesque architectural style in the residential buildings of Šibenik’s historical centre, which, apart from peripheral and general data in some scholarly studies, have barely attracted the attention of researchers. The first partial inventory of these rare Romanesque traces was published in 1952 and 1959 by Cvito Fisković. However, this study shows that Romanesque architectural details, including remnants of windows and doors, are widespread throughout Šibenik within the historical ramparts. These findings support the conclusion that Šibenik occupied its entire area as early as the Romanesque period. Romanesque architectural elements, largely preserved in situ, are distributed along the main longitudinal axis of the town, extending from the monastery of St Francis to the Great Square with the Cathedral of St James and the Great Loggia, as well as within the urban districts of Dolac and Gorica, near St Michael’s Fortress. This research is based primarily on field observations, suggesting that additional Romanesque elements may still be hidden beneath the plastered façades of Šibenik’s historical buildings, awaiting future discovery.