Early-Christian and pre-Romanesque churches in Trogir and on Ciovo island

The town of Trogir was founded on a small low-lying island situated right next to the mainland, and it is this favourable location that saved it from destruction during numerous ethnical migrations in the course of which many other coastal towns often suffered great damage and harm. In this town, churches were built in restrained urban surroundings above remains of earlier paganistic sanctuaries, and were in many cases subsequently renovated. This development pattern can be seen at the cathedral church of St. John the Baptist and at many other sacral buildings. A very thorough description is given of the St. Mary's church on Plokata, whose final six-leaved appearance was determined based on an old drawing. The nearby church of St. Barbara, considered by many as one of our most beautiful early-Romanesq tie sacral buildings, is also described in great detail. Churches situated on the nearby island of Ciovo are also depicted. Here the number of such churches is much smaller, principally because the island had been for quite some time a sanctuary to hermits and lepers. Nevertheless, some well preserved early Romanesque churches dating back from Byzantine Empire times, i.e. from the 6th and 7th centuries, still adorn this interesting island.