A long time ago, the great location that is today occupied by the St. Francis Church in Split belonged to the St. Felix Church. According to the Chronicle written by Thomas the Archdeacon, the previously mentioned church was built by Ivan, Archbishop of Split who resided there and it later became his eternal resting place. In the 13th century, the Little Brothers of St. Francis made the St. Felix Church their home, and preserved the tomb of St. Felix at the main altar.
There is a legend that says it was St. Francis himself who established the monastery in 1214 when he was passing through Split. The Franciscans introduced a new church and monastery building complex with a cloister as the main gathering space surrounded by monastery buildings.
The church is home to one of the most beautiful works of religious art from the Roman Empire – a sarcophagus entitled ‘The Crossing of the Red Sea’.
Moreover, it is a single-nave church that consists of four side-altars with the following altarpieces made by famous painters – Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, St. Anthony, St. Joseph, and the most valuable work of art in this particular church – Crucifixion – a painted crucifix, the first piece ever made by Blaž Juraj Trogiranin (Blaise George of Trogir). It is also worth mentioning that the Franciscan monastery is home to a large old library with approximately 3000 works, some of them go back as far as the 16th century.
Information by: Tourist Board of Split
D. Šabić