Crkva Sv. Križa (Krsta), Црква Св. Крижа (Крста)
Properties
ID | 117820 |
---|---|
System Class | Place |
Place | Existing Church |
Case Study | Beyond East and West: Sacred Landscapes Duklja and Raška |
Dedication | Holy Cross |
Evidence | Existing Monument |
Ground Plans | Greek Cross |
Stylistic Classification | Pre-Romanesque |
Administrative unit | Zadar County , Croatia |
Description
The Church of the Holy Cross was built around 800. Its entrance bears an inscription in crude capitals which says: "GODEAI IUPPANO ?ISTO DOMO CO". The inscription is interpreted as "Godečaj Iuppano isto domo construxit". Thus, the church is interpreted to have been a court chapel of the Croatian rulers, who had their court next to the church. It was also used as a sepulcher.
The Church was named the smallest cathedral in the world. Its an edifice shaped in the form of a Greek cross whose arms are vaulted, has three apses and a dome of irregular ellipsoidal shape. Noticeable shifts from the correct axis are the result of tracking the sun so the Church served (and is still used) as a kind of clock and calendar.