New facts about the activity of Zadar builders in the 14th and the 15th century on the islands of Zadar

Abstract

There are numerous arhive news about the activity of Zadar builders on the north Dalmatian islands. Already known documents tell us that in the Gothic times many churches were built and restructured, such as: St. Nichola’s near Luka on Dugi otok, St. Kuzma’S and Damjat’s in Brbinj, St. Mihovibs in Zaglav, St. Maria’s in Sali, St. Duje’s on Pašman, St. Anthonys in Otus on Pašman, St. Kuzma’s and Damjan’s on Ćokovac. There are works done on nonsacral objects (in Otus on Pašman, on St. Mihovibs castle on Ugljan in Preko). The author adds new facts, so far unknown archive news which show that the mentioned activity was even more developed. The builder Andrija Desin, so-called Brusač, built St. Jacob’s church in Veli Rat on Dugi otok as an endowment for the Fanfonja’s family. The builder Bartul, son of Mišul, built from the foundations St. Nichola’s church in Božava in 1385. Domol Sturičic repaired a church on Premuda in 1392. and Luka Gaje (son of Gaje) built St. Peters church near Poljane on Ugljan in 1397. The builder Simun (son of Butko) worked from 1431. to 1436. on St. Paul’s monastery on the little island Galevac. The roof of St. Lovre’s church was done in Kali in 1392. by Grgur Bilšić. One can conclude on the basis of the archive news that some other sacral buildings on the Zadar islands were built or redone in the Gothic times: St. Thomas's curch in Dobropoljana, St. Thoma's church in Tkon, St. Maria’s in Dubovica, St. Marta’s near Kukljica, St. Pelegrin’s in Kali, St. Jerome’s near Kukljica, St. Martin’s near Preko, St. Grgur's near Sutomišćica, All Saints’in in Ugljan, St. Peter’s near Ugljan, St. Jerome’s near Ugljan, St. Mihovibs in Nevidani, and St. Krševan’s on Maun. The building activity is thus confirmed as an important segment of the Gothic culture in Zadar area. It was rather modest in its achievement on which the stylistic characteristics are only little indicated in the shape of square apses, pointed arches on the openings with broken up, parly oval arches. The greatest number of the mentioned buildings has not preserved the original outlook and many of them disappeared so the archive news are of great importance as a kind of testimony of developed building activity in those times.