October 30, 2019 - Did you know that the Imotski region has its own islet, with an excavation currently underway? Meet Manastir.

This islet is located along the western edge of the Imotski field, in Prološko Blato - and with its distinctiveness and beauty, it’s so small that it could fit comfortably into the frame of a football field.

The area around it on the west side consists of three beautiful lakes in the Lokvicici municipality, and on the east and south sides, it is surrounded by the water of Prološko Blato, which only slightly recedes in the late summer days and early fall, so that this islet, called Manastir or Školjić, remains dry for a short time. 

You might be familiar with the fact that the Imotski region even had another island in the Runovici municipality, though it has been dry for decades. The island referred to in this story, however, conceals and preserves the rich history of the Imotski region.

Namely, while it is full of juicy fig trees and cherries, Manastir is the current excavation that is provoking a lively interest in Imotski locals. 

Slobodna Dalmacija's Braco Ćosić writes that Manastir, or Školjić, was one of the symbols of the resistance of the entire Imotski region to the Turkish rule, which oppressed the people of Imotski for a full 224 years, from 1493 to 1717. This islet always gave hope that after two centuries of occupation, freedom would come. 

So, what will the excavators find on Manastir?

Here is what we do know: It was precisely the Imotski Franciscans who inherited the Benedictines in the Imotski region at the end of the 14th century, who lived there during the Turkish rule, from 1600 to 1715.

Braco Ćosić

Thus, it was only in 1715 that the Franciscans left Manastir. Two years later, on August 2, 1717, Imotski and the Imotski region were finally liberated from the Turks, though Manastir remained abandoned to this day. Overgrown with foliage and weeds for years, it would sometimes receive a stray visitor, a farmer from a nearby vineyard, a shepherd who kept sheep or cows nearby, or one of the many fishers after carp in Prološko Blato. 

Braco Ćosić

Ivan Alduk, Head of the Conservation Department of the Imotski Ministry of Culture, is leading the excavation. 

“After five years of hard work and cleaning, because the terrain at Manastir was very inaccessible and difficult, we finally started with the archeological excavations of the oldest preserved Franciscan monastery in the Imotski region. While we are talking about this, there is a debate among my associates about what we have found so far. It is clear to us that the monastery was very large at that time; it is nearly fifty meters in length, has a ground floor, a floor, and the first room we dug up is a monastery dining room, or chapel. We will see this when we see the documents. We are delighted and satisfied with what we are finding and if the Ministry of Culture continues to support us, as they have so far, continuing the research will be interesting,” says Alduk.

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An interesting article about the "Manastir" islet from the Imotski Svitnjak (written by Ivan Alduk, photos by Luka Kolovrat and Ante Fedor Kukavica, translated by Ivana Župan)

At the islet of "Manastir", under the northern cliffs of the lakes of Prološko Blato, the remains of the Franciscan monastery lies. At the time of the Turkish threat, probably in late 15th century, the Franciscans abandoned the monastery at the source of the river Vrljika and build a new monastery on the island "Manastir". Relying on the Turkish firmans, dr. fra Karlo Jurišić said, that the building of the monastery began between 1600 and 1605. The impetus for building of monastery and relocation to Prološko Mud gave perhaps the vicar of the Bosnian Franciscan Vicary st. fra Jakov Markijski, in the middle of the 15th century.

 

 

The Franciscans have repeatedly left and returned to the monastery to finally leave it in 1715, when it was destroyed. So, this year marks exactly 300 year since fra Stipan Vrljić temporarily moved to Omiš, where the monastery was built in Skalice. After liberation from the Turks in 1715, the Franciscans organized a parish in Fort Topan first and soon afterwards they establish a new monastery in Imotski, which owns the old monastery on the island "Manastir" to this day.

 

 

The remains of the monastery are located on the western slope of the island where you can see the ruins of several rooms with the chapel connected to the building of an elongated rectangular ground plan. In addition to the chapel, there is a gateway to the shore mud/lake and stone benches where preserved in that passage. The other side of the aisle closes a water cistern. Judging by the preserved stone walls and cleared lands, the islet was pretty organized during the stay of the small Franciscan community.

At the top of the island, an inscription carved on a cliff was preserved: "This AD. 1609 F.M.R. - LET IT BE KNOWN", that is most likely related to the vicar fra Mijo Runović, who is credited for construction of the monastery. The remains of the Franciscan monastery on the islet of "Manastir" in Prološko Mud are an extremely valuable part of the Imotski culture heritage. Therefore, in organization of the Franciscan monastery in Imotski and the local Conservation Department and local associations, the cleaning of the islet and the remains of the monastery, which are in a very poor condition has begun. This year, the Ministry of Culture allocated modest financial resources for the conservation of the walls to rescue this monument from oblivion and prolong its life for future generations.