Monasteries of the Poor Clares in Medieval Croatia

Abstract

In this the Year of Consecrated Life (November 30, 2014 to February 2, 2016) the author has taken it upon himself to elaborate on the spiritual–historical charism which did not stop at its source, but overflowed far beyond the boundaries of that time. We are speaking of St. Clare of Assisi, a »spiritual aristocrat« whose presence and sanctity inspired and still inspire today numerous followers and reverers across the world, and so too in Croatia. This article has been written to commend this fact. It is divided into two main sections with subheadings, the first containing an introduction to the body of the essay wherein the author presents a brief biography of St. Clare of Assisi and the spiritual–legislative walk of the Order of the Poor Clares up to the final approval of the Rule of St. Clare. The second section deals with Monasteries of the Poor Clares in Croatia in the Middle Ages, with the subsections focusing on ten medieval monasteries through which Clare’s charism overflowed to this part of the world, namely, the Monasteries of St. Nicholas in Zadar, Saint Marcella in Nin, St. Elizabeth in Skradin, St. Clare and St. Peter in Dubrovnik, St. Clare in Split and three monasteries in Kotor: Holy Cross, St. Clare and St. Mary of the Angels and finally the Monastery of the Holy Saviour in Šibenik.