Parish Church of St. Cross Square (Trg Sv. Križa)

The parish church of the Holy Cross stands on the square that bears its name in the middle of Vodice, a lively seaside town on the Šibenik Riviera, in northern Dalmatia. Vodice is known today for its marina, its promenade and its summer crowds, but its old centre keeps a few reminders of an earlier and quieter life, and the church is the most important of them. The bell tower rises above the square and is one of the main landmarks seen from the harbour, and the parish church is the place where local people have gathered for centuries.

The origins of the church lie in the late Middle Ages, and it is recorded that a church was dedicated to the Holy Cross in the early fifteenth century. In the eighteenth century, the building was rebuilt and enlarged in the Baroque style, and most of what you see today dates from that period. The facade is restrained and well proportioned, with a Baroque doorway, oval windows and a rose window above the entrance, and the interior is a single, light space with side altars. The campanile, the bell tower, was built in the middle of the eighteenth century by a builder from Dubrovnik, a sign that master builders moved along the coast between towns. The church was consecrated in the 1760s.

Inside, the altars and paintings come from the Baroque period and the following century. Altarpieces show scenes such as the Holy Family and the Sacred Heart, as well as saints venerated locally, and a carved holy-water stoup of earlier, Romanesque or Gothic style is a reminder of the medieval church that preceded the present one. Like many parish churches in Dalmatia, it is a mix of periods, which is part of its interest. The building is an active place of worship, so visitors should dress modestly and be quiet, and opening depends on services, though it is often open in the morning and evening in summer.

The church sits close to other sights in the old part of Vodice. The Ćorić Tower, a defensive tower from the time of Ottoman threats, and the chapel of St. Elijah on the hill above town are listed in this guide, and the town centre offers cafes and restaurants along the waterfront. Nearby, the old fishing village of Tribunj and the island of Prvić are good for excursions, and the Krka National Park lies a short drive inland.

Plan twenty to thirty minutes for the church and the square, and more if you walk to the tower or the hilltop chapel. The church suits visitors interested in Baroque architecture and the history of the Dalmatian coast, and those who want a quiet moment away from the beaches.