State

The remains of St. Mary are at the Perušić cemetary, on a hill in the vicinity of the medieval Perušić castle. What remains is the pavement with a few tombstones, the ancient cippus modified into a baptistery and a fraction of the sanctuary wall.

History

The church was dedicated to the Assumption of the Holy Virgin Mary. It was first recorded in 1449, with the neighboring castle. It was probably built in the 14th or 15th century in the Gothic style. After the Ottoman Turks had been forced out by the end of the 17th centuy, the church was restored and expanded. The belfry was added, as well as the lunette shaped windows, typical of the Baroque style in the area. It was a single nave church with a square shaped apse and a pointed vault, reinforced by transverse arches.

From the sanctuary

Cippus-baptistery

Description

The church was furnished with a Baroque altar with a painting of the Assumption of the Holy Virgin, dated in 1845. There was an embossed coat of arms on the facade, showing the tree and the snake from the Garden of Eden. At the sides were letters G and P, believed to be the initials of Gašpar Perušić, the lord of the castle and the church, who also gave his name to this village.

Old photo

Info

  • Fra Stanko Bačić: Perušić