Trogir Cathedral - History

History

It was built on the foundations of an earliy-Christian cathedral destroyed in the 12th century during the sack of the town by the Saracens in 1123. The present building was begun in 1213 and finished during the 17th century. Like the older one, it is also dedicated to St. Lawrence (Sveti Lovro) but it is bettern known as St. John's Cathedral (Sveti Ivan) after bishop John, who died in 1111 and stood out for his saintly lifestyle at a time when the Hungarian King Koloman had taken over Dalmatia and Croatia. Most of the work in the construction of the cathedral took place in the 13th century, being mostly completed in 1251. That means the building is mainly in Romanesque style, whilst the vault inside is gothic as it was built during the 15th century, in Mannerist style.

Work on the bell tower began at the end of the 14th century, but it was not completed until the end of the 16th century. The first floor is in Gothic style and it was built by Masters Stejpan and Matej. After it had been demolished by the Venetians in 1420, it was restored by Matija Gojkovič. The second floor is in low Gothic style and was probably the work of Venetian masters, as it is reminiscent of the windows of the famous Venetian Palazzo Ca d'Oro. The final floor was built by Trifun Bokanič (1575–1609). On top of the bell tower there are four statues, the work of Venetian sculptor Alessandro Vittoria (1525–1608). In the centre of the facade, within a small round opening, there is the carved coat of arms of the most powerful Croatian-Hungarian King, Ludvic of Angevin dynasty.