Church of the Holy Savior

The Church of the Holy Saviour (Crkva sv. Spasa) stands near the source of the Cetina — Veliko vrilo / Glavaš. They are separated by just some 450 m as the crow flies. It is one of the most significant pre-Romanesque buildings in Croatia and the only church from that period in the Dalmatinska zagora preserved in its original form. It was built during the reign of the Croatian duke Branimir in the 9th century, by the count Gostiha and his mother Nemira. The church’s bell tower also holds a prominent place, as it is the oldest surviving bell tower of medieval Croatian architecture.

Around the church lies a cemetery rich in archaeological finds from the Romanesque period. Most of the finds are kept in the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments in Split, and the building is entered in the Register of Cultural Property of Croatia.

The church and cemetery stand in isolation. On winter days, often only the howling of the Bura can be heard here. In the distance behind the church rises Dinara, clad in a snowy cloak for a good part of the year, and around it stretches a field, seemingly endless, with the Cetina in the background. It is a place of special energy that compels one to reflect on the transience of life, on the richness of the heritage we inherit, and on the building skill of our ancestors from more than a thousand years ago. It is a place where feelings of respect for our ancestors intertwine with questioning whether we are equal to the task when we look within the modern achievements of our existence.

During the summer, cars with foreign licence plates often pass along the road beside the church, having discovered the source of the Cetina. They usually do not even glance at the church, which is an indicator of the haphazard development of our tourism, but probably also of the superficiality of the average person today. Perhaps it is better that way. Whoever seeks a moment of peace and a breath of the spirituality of bygone times will feel called when passing by.

To every well-meaning visitor, the Church of the Holy Saviour offers moments of peace and a breath of the spirituality of bygone times