A cathedral built only of stone
The Cathedral of St James (Katedrala sv. Jakova) stands on the main square of Šibenik's old town, overlooking the harbour. It took more than a century to build, from 1431 to 1536, and was consecrated in 1555. UNESCO inscribed it on the World Heritage list in 2000.
What makes it unusual is how it was built. The cathedral is made entirely of stone, including its barrel vaults and dome. Large, precisely cut slabs fit together with overlapping joints and tongue-and-groove grooves, rather than being laid in mortar over a brick or timber structure. The roof slabs show on the outside, so the building's exterior shape follows its interior vaults. This technique is the main reason UNESCO considers it an outstanding example of the transition from Gothic to Renaissance architecture.
The stone is local limestone, much of it quarried on the island of Brač.
The builders
The cathedral reflects the work of several masters over a century:
- Francesco di Giacomo, a Venetian builder, started it in Gothic style in the 1430s.
- Juraj Dalmatinac (George of Dalmatia), from Zadar, took over in 1441 and changed the design. He widened the plan and added the apses, the baptistery and the frieze of heads. His statue, by Ivan Meštrović, stands in front of the cathedral.
- Nikola Firentinac (Niccolò di Giovanni Fiorentino) took charge from 1475 and completed the upper parts in Renaissance style, including the vaults and the dome.
- Bartolomeo and Jakov of Mestre finished the remaining work.
As a result, the lower parts of the building are Gothic, while the upper parts are Renaissance. You can see the change on the façades.
What to look for outside
- The heads frieze: around the outside of the three apses runs a band of carved stone heads, more than seventy in all. They are portraits of men, women and children, with very different expressions. Tradition says they depict ordinary townspeople of the time, perhaps including citizens who were reluctant to contribute to the cost of the building, but nobody knows who they really are.
- The Lion Portal on the north side, facing the square. Adam and Eve stand on columns above two stone lions.
- The dome, finished by about 1499, and the trefoil-shaped west façade, both clearly visible from the square and the steps around it.
What to look for inside
The interior is a basilica with a nave and two aisles. The stone barrel vaults above it are visible from inside. Look for:
- The baptistery, a small, richly carved room under the southern apse, reached by steps from inside the church. It was designed by Juraj Dalmatinac in the 1440s. Its vault is made from just a few interlocking carved stone blocks, and three putti support the font.
- The sculpted capitals and the Renaissance details of the presbytery.
- The dome, which rises about 32 m above the floor.
On 18 September 1991, during the Croatian War of Independence, shells pierced the dome. It was repaired in 1996–97.
Visiting practicalities
The cathedral is an active church. An entrance fee is charged for tourist visits, and access may be limited during Mass and church events. Cover your shoulders and knees when you go inside. Hours change with the season, so check the times locally. The square in front is busiest at midday in summer, and the light on the façade is best in the late afternoon.
The rest of Šibenik
Šibenik's old town is a maze of stepped lanes climbing the hill behind the cathedral. Combine the cathedral with:
- St Michael's Fortress, directly above the old town, with views over the channel and islands. It is also used as a summer concert venue.
- The Barone and St John fortresses on the hills behind town.
- St Nicholas Fortress, a 16th-century Venetian sea fortress at the entrance to the St Anthony Channel. It is part of the separate UNESCO listing of the Venetian Works of Defence. It can be reached by boat, or along a waterside path.
Getting there
Šibenik is on the coast between Split and Zadar, and intercity buses link it with both. Many people combine Šibenik with Krka National Park, whose waterfalls are a short drive inland, or with an island trip to Zlarin or Prvić. If you are driving between Split and Zadar, a stop of half a day is enough for the cathedral and the old town, but staying overnight gives you the lanes in the evening once day visitors have left.
