A unique medieval Mediterranean garden in Sibenik

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To everyone who has already visited Šibenik and taken a tour of its cultural and historical sights, as well as those visiting it for the very first time, this northern Dalmatian city always has a new face to discover, as well as numerous natural sights, attracting visitors.

Though, after its renovation, the medieval monastery garden Sv Lovre (St Lawrence), located in the city centre, has been open for visitors for the past two years, it still attracts tourists with the same intensity.

The renovation of the medieval Mediterranean garden was completed at the end of 2007, after an entire century of neglect. It was led by the renowned landscape architect Dragutin Kiš, who received the millennium Flora award in Japan in 2000. The garden is a rare monument, the only one of its kind in Croatia and one of very few in this part of Europe. It is conceptualized in line with a medieval layout, comprising a cross path with a small well at its centre. The entire garden is enclosed by bushes and old scented roses. At the centre of the rich Mediterranean greenery is the collection of decorative thyme.

Another special feature of the garden is its capers, which, according to legend, were brought to Šibenik by the well-known architect Juraj Dalmatinac. The entire garden is open to the public and features educational programs for both schools and visitors. As it is part of a monastery, visitors can also visit the Gospina Spilja and the St Lawrence Church, both part of the St Lawrence monastery. Visitors can also enjoy a café, restaurant and souvenir shop. In the summer, the garden is open from 8 am to 11 pm, and in the winter, until Easter, from 9 am to 4 pm.

Šibenik also attracts visitors on account of its proximity to the national parks Kornati and Krka and its many cultural and historical monuments, the most important being the Sveti Jakov cathedral, under the protection of UNESCO. Interestingly, the cathedral was built for longer than a hundred years and is a testimony to the perseverance and faith of several generations of Šibenik’s citizens. The cathedral is unique in many ways, not only in Croatian but European architecture, as it is entirely made out of stone, without the use of any other material. According to experts, it is also unique on account of its bold construction: stone plates and frames have been put together without the use of bond. Other singularities, when compared to other renaissance churches, include its trefoil-shaped front and the harmony of the architecture and the series of 74 realist portraits on the apses.

See some photos of Sibenik, and read more info about Sibenik on Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board www.sibenikregion.hr  and City of Šibenik Tourist Board www.sibenik-tourism.hr