Šibenik is a historic town in central Dalmatia. Sibenik is the oldest Slavic town on the Croatian coast, possibly dating from the 11th century, although Croats had reached the surrounding area a few centuries earlier.
The town intermittently switched between Croatian and Venetian rule over the following few centuries, with the longest period being under the Venetians from 1412 to 1797. During this time, the town grew in importance and for a while during the 16th century, it became the largest town in Dalmatia.
After the fall of Venice, Sibenik briefly became French for eight years, before becoming part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until its break up after World War I. At this point, Sibenik became part of the newly-formed Yugoslavia.
Sibenik is home to two amazing UNESCO World Heritage Sites – the Cathedral of St Jakov and St Nicholas Fortress.
The Cathedral was built between 1431 and 1536 from limestone and marble (from the island of Brac). The early stages of the cathedral were designed and built by Italian masters, but between 1444 and 1447 construction work was under the direction of the famous Croatian sculptor Juraj Dalmatinac. There is a statue of Dalmatinac, by Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestovic, in the courtyard of the Cathedral. On the top of a side entry to the Cathedral is a statue of St. Michael killing the drago.
Another impressive church in Šibenik is St. Barbara’s Church, a stunning Gothic-Renaissance structure that dates back to the 15th century. The church has a tall bell tower, pointed arches, and intricate stone carvings. The exterior of the church is illuminated at night, making it a stunning sight to behold. Looking up, you can see its clock that is always set to winter time.
On our walk through the town, we encountered a Tesla light fixture at the start of Dobrić Street. The lamp on its corner hangs in memory of Nikola Tesla, On August 28, 1895, Šibenik became the first city in the world with street lighting powered by alternating current,
The town also has four fortresses. Two you can walk up to if you want a climb. Saint Michael’s Fortress, was built in the 8th century and destroyed and rebuilt many times since then. Sometimes it’s referred to as the St. Michael Castle. Actually the whole city of Šibenik was built around this fortress. Today it is used as a concert venue. Above and to the right of this fortress is Barone Fortress, on top of the hill, built in 1646. Just below Barone Fortress and surrounded by trees you can see St. John’s Fortress also built in 1646. The fourth fortress is in the sea.
Jurlinovi Dvori
From Šibenik, we motored to this small Dalmatian village. At the end of the 18th century Jure came from Bosnia and started to build his family home, typical for this area: stone houses, with stone roofs, placed, in a circle, with one entrance door facing the street. In the middle of this circle there was a court, a family living room with a stone table in the middle and above the table there was a grape vine (brunac ) which provided shade for the members of the household during hot summer time. There was a cistern to provide water. The villa is now owned and lived in by a Franciscan Priest Fr. Stipe Perkov, in his 80s. He welcomes visitors to his home to learn about village life, his life, and have a wonderful meal.
