Franciscan Monastery, Karin

History

The Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Virgin Mary was built in the 15th century on the ruins of a 9th century Benedictine Abbey. It is believed to have been founded by Nikola Lapsanović, the master of the town of Karin and a descendant of the Lapčani clan of old Croatian nobility. The monastery was demolished during the Turkish wars and it was reconstructed in the beginning of the 18th century. During the 1991-1995 war in Croatia it was severely damaged and devastated again. The restoration is under way.

Description

The original monastery was in the Gothic style. It only had a ground and first floor, while the second floor is an 18th century addition. The shape of the walled windows on the church and bell tower are Gothic. At the end of the Turkish period they were replaced with semicircular Baroque style windows when the monastery was restored and enlarged in the 18th century. The conservation and research conducted in the monastery just before the 1991-1995 war revealed loop holes on the first floor of the west side. They were originally built, it is believed, in the 15th century with the monastery itself.

East side

Bell tower

Document

An important historical source of information about the history of the monastery is the so called St. Mary's Monastery in Karin Chronicle, written by fra Marijan Lekušić between 1734 1nd 1740.

BENKOVAC heritage