Church of the Holy Spirit

Place: Požega

Description:

According to the historical documents researched so far, the Franciscan church of the Holy Spirit is the oldest, albeit partially preserved, church in Požega. The church and the monastery certainly existed when the Franciscans arrived in Požega after the expulsion of the Tatars from Croatia in the 13th century. Franciscans in Požega are noted in documents of 1260. and it is considered that the church and the monastery were built during the reign of the king Ladislav IV, circa 1285. According to a document of 1317, the church was originally consecrated to St. Demetrius and it was damaged along with the monastery in a fire in 1305. In 1537 the Ottomans had conquered Požega, razed the monastery and converted the church into a mosque that was called “Šerklot”. That is why the church has preserved elements of late romanic, gothic and turkish architecture. Evidence of this was uncovered during the excavations of 1994 and 1995 as well. In the courtyard of the monastery there were ceramic dishes dating back to the 13th century and the remains of a 13th century stone wall. Furthermore, during the preliminary arecheological research of 1995, richly decorated portal was discovered on the north facade, dating back to the 13th century. It is built in large chiseled stone blocks with a visible black and red fresco. This portal, along with the Zadar and Trogir cathedral ones is the biggest 13th century romanic portal in Croatia. A smaller 16th century ottoman portal was found built within this portal.

In 1708, after the Ottomans have left, the Franciscans have moved from nearby Vučjak back to their original site of worship. New monastery was completed in 1724. Parallel to that, the church was restored and rebuilt. An arched ceiling was built over the main nave, north and south chapel and sacristy. The nave itself, the sanctuaryand its ceiling, the belltower (to the third floor), triumphal arch and the north portal are preserved in their original, gothic form. The dimensions of the church are as follows: nave is 25,6 metres long ad 8,4 metres wide, while the sanctuary is 8,6 metres long and 6,6 metres wide.

The interior of the church is adorned by valuable baroque altars (three 17th and 18th century Tyrolean altars) and especially valuable sacristy altar dating back to 1737. Below the sanctuary there is a crypt, closed in 1867, once used as a burial place for the Franciscans and prominent citizens of Požega – judges, senators, officers and noblemen. The crypt is the burial place of baron Trenk’s two year old daughter and there also lay the remains of friar Luka Ibrišimović, famous “Sokol” (Falcon), liberator of Požega and the Požega area from the Ottoman rule. His tumbstone bearing verses of Franjo Ciraki, a Požega’s poet, has been placed in the church in 1892. The monastery has a vast library. Even though a large part of the library was destroyed in the fire of 1842, it is now regarded as a monument of highest cathegory and is among the most valuable libraries in Croatia. It includes about 15.000 books and 16th century documents.