Description

The church of Archangel Michael in the cemetary in Miranje belongs to the same group with St. Michael in Vukšić and St. Petka in Kolarina. They are all small Romanesque barrel-vaulted single nave churches with a round apse. The vault lies directly on the walls and is reinforced with two transverse arches, which divide the nave into three bays. Similar to this group is St. John in Banjevci, which shares another feature with Archangel MIchael - an impressive bell tower at the west facade. An interesting thing about the tower in Miranje is that it is wider than the nave behind it.

Tower

South side

History

The church has Romanesque features, but the windows and doors with stone frames were built later. In the south-west facade there is a walled up portal with an inscription in the lunette written in Gothic minuscule in Italian and Latin. This inscription records an intervention on the building done in 1497, most likely the tower. The end of the 15th century is the period of growing Turkish menace and the bell tower has characteristics of a fortification. The church has been used by the Orthodox believers since the 18th century.

Inscription

Plan

Description

The church is in the village graveyard. Remains of some Roman architecture is visible around it, and some fragments of Roman pottery and coins were found.

Info

  • Ivo Petricioli: Spomenici romaničke i gotičke arhitekture u benkovačkom kraju
  • Nikola Jakšić: Benkovac i okolica u srednjem vijeku