Remains of the Church of St Francis, Koločep

In the eastern part of the island of Koločep, above the Jekavac cove, the foundations and walls of the Church of St Francis remain. The island belongs to the City of Dubrovnik, and this site is particularly worth seeing because it preserves the original picture of pre-Romanesque building in the Dubrovnik area.

The church is a typical example of the south Dalmatian single-nave domed church, in the variant with smooth outer walls. According to current knowledge it was built in the second half of the 11th century. Fragments of early Christian origin, found during the investigations, suggest that there were older building phases on the same spot, and in the 14th or 15th century the church was adapted with minor repairs. Its present dedication is not the original. It most probably suffered in the great earthquake of the 17th century. There are six such churches on Koločep in total, the most in the Dubrovnik area, and St Francis stands out among them for its state of preservation, so it is important for the study of this type of architecture.

The remains are a protected cultural property, entered in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia under the code Z-6155.

Data: Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia (Ministry of Culture and Media), Open Licence; coordinates: DGU (centre of the settlement).