Izvorni znanstveni članak
Early mediaeval Beati Petri Apostoli church in Rapovine near Livno and the results of archaeological research
Marija Marić Baković
orcid.org/0000-0002-5761-3583
; Franjevački muzej i galerija Gorica – Livno, BiH
Sažetak
Within the organization of the Franciscan museum and the Gorica Livno gallery the remains of a mediaeval church dedicated to Peter the Apostle were examined on the current Catholic cemetery in Rapovine near Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Excavations were carried out in three campaigns between 2010 and 2013. Numerous fragments of stone furniture were found on the excavated location along with the remains of the church’s foundation architecture. The analysis of the preserved fragments of church furniture has revealed the time period of the church’s construction with the help of the comparative method. With the epigraphic characteristics of the inscription on the architrave and the decorative style and relief-like workmanship of the fragments, the altar screen was dated to the end of the 9th and beginning of the 10th century during the rule of the Croatian Duke Branimir and his heir to the throne, Muncimir. Based on the characteristics
of the style, the stone carving work can be attributed to a Pre-Romanesque workshop located in Knin known as the Court Stone Carving Workshop. This workshop had worked on numerous structures in the inner part of today’s Dalmatia and southwestern Bosnia, as well as the region of the Hlivno (Livno) county, which was, at that time, located within the boundaries of the early mediaeval Croatian state. Considering the largest concentration of fragments, the wattle of three-banded circles diagonally crossed with threebanded strands is the main decoration motif on the pluteus of the altar screen. Also, a part of the pluteus was decorated with a wattle of knotted three-banded circles. While the mentioned wattles decorated the
central parts of the pluteus as reliefs, near the edges there is a repetitive motif of a vertically placed threebanded interlace individually or in combination with other motifs. According to the inscription on the beam
of the altar screen, the church was dedicated to Peter the Apostle as were many other Pre-Romanesque churches in the region of the early mediaeval Croatian state. We are speaking of a Latin inscription which
was dedicated to Peter the Apostle by the dedicant and the donator, a member of that day Livno’s nobility. The topographic map of Livno and the surrounding area (1686-1689) shows the church of St. Peter. It is
certain that the matter is of the same church to which the fragments of church furniture once belonged. The same titular that is mentioned on the beam of the church’s screen and the toponomastic record on the map
from the 17th century indicate that the church dedicated to Peter the Apostle was used in continuity from the Early Middle Ages to the end of the 17th century when it was destroyed. At its base, the church has a
right angle naos oriented East-West, with a semi-circular apse on the East. The entryway to the church was a somewhat narrower space with the function of a lobby or an axial bell tower in the facade of the church.
We do not have any reliable sources for this since only a section of the north wall was preserved. The length of the church from the naos to the base of the apse is 8.70 m, while it measures around 10m with the wall of
the assumed lobby. The width of the church from the outside is around 6m and 4.85m on the inside. The interior of the church had paved floors and mortared interior. We have preserved fragments of mortar in blue,
red and ochre colour as well as a part of an embossed rhombus motif. The remains of the three preserved floorings are fragmented because of the distortion of layers, especially due to the digging of late mediaeval and early modern graves. Ancient spoils from a roman structure, as well as tombstones are incorporated into the architecture of the church.
During its continuous period of existence, the church experienced at least two significant renovations. The first major works may have occurred after 1463 when the church was, as is our assumption, possibly burnt in a battle with the Turks, which lead to its renovation. The naos of the Pre-Romanesque church was shortened assuming an almost rectangular shape, while the apse had gained in depth by taking some space from the naos, thereby however losing its initial semi-circular shape. As the last preserved mediaeval church in the Livno region, the church in Rapovine has assumed the role of the parish church for the entire Livno region which was under Turkish command at the time. Based on the numismatic findings between
two floorings where a coin was discovered with the Hungarian King Matija II, forged between 1613 and 1620, it was confirmed that the church was last renovated in the first half of the 17th century. The final
destroying of the church of St. Peter in Rapovine occurred between 1686 and 1689 during the Krajina attacks, which did not serve the Christian population under Turkish rule. Along with the mediaeval church,
the cemetery was also researched. According to the discoveries from the graves, the latest burials adjacent to the church date to the late mediaeval times (14th and 15th centuries) and the beginning of the modern era
(16th century). Based on the markings on the tombstones in the cemetery, the continuity of burial continued to present day. Modern graves have mostly covered the initial remains of the mediaeval church. After the
archaeological region on the cemetery in Rapovine was proclaimed a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, burials in that part of the cemetery were forbidden. The initial remains of the architecture of the church are conserved and restored.
Ključne riječi
Hrčak ID:
164511
URI
Datum izdavanja:
23.6.2014.
Posjeta: 1.372 *