The story of Šibenik Cathedral

The Cathedral of Saint James is the most important Renaissance building in Croatia, and it was built entirely of stone. On 10 April 1402 a council of citizens decided to build a new cathedral that would be wider, taller and grander, but war with Venice delayed the start, and the foundation stone was laid only on 9 April 1431. Stone came from the islands of Korčula, Brač, Rab and Krk.

By 1441 serious mistakes had been made and parts had to be pulled down, so the city hired a new master, Juraj Dalmatinac from Zadar. He, and after him Nikola Firentinac, gave the cathedral its unique look, and the work went on until 1536. Walk around the outside of the apses and look at the frieze of carved human heads: they are thought to be portraits of real people from Dalmatia at the time.

Inside, the stone dome rises 32 metres. In 2000 the cathedral was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List.