Sibenik - Sv. Jakov Church
by Natasa Lujic
It was built on the city's south side were Romanic church of St Jacob had earlier stood. The cathedral construction began in the Venetian Gothic style, and was completed in the Toscano Renaissance style. The idea of building a grand cathedral originated in 1298 when ibenik was given its own diocese and the status of a municipality. The actual decision to build it and take preparatory action was reached in 1402. However, the construction did not begin until 1431 and with minor disruptions lasted until 1536. In the first ten years of construction, the Italian gothic masters Francesco di Giacomo, Lorenzo Pincino and Pier Paolo Bussato participated, together with the domestic master stonecutters Andrija Budčić and Grubi lafčić (longitudinal walls, gothic parts of the façade and both portals). In the year 1441 Great City Council elected Juraj Matvejev Dalmatinac, at the time living and getting his education in arts in Venice , to be the main architect of the cathedral. He managed temple construction until the end of his life (1475). With his exquisite ideas and methods this grandiose artist of the late (flowery) gothic period changed the original conception of the church. He enlarged it with a side nave and apses, put up basic constructive elements for the building of the dome, introduced new construction schemes and enriched the temple with sculptural decorations. Managing the construction of the cathedral, Juraj gathered a whole group/range of associates who, under the influence of his highly artistic craftsmanship, perfected their skills and spread his artistic expression. After the master's death, Nikola Firentinac (1477-1505) took over the cathedral's construction. Sticking to Juraj's constructional procedure he continued the building in pure renaissance style and built the top parts of the cathedral: the dome, the sculpture of St Mihovil, Jakov and Marko (St. Micheal, Jacob and Mark), the roof complex and the upper part of the façade. Within the cathedral, on the side naves, he built triforias (parallel galleries) and worked on the presbytery and sanctuary completion. Following Firentinac's death in 1505, the construction continued under Venetian constructors Bartolomeo and Giacomo of Mestra and master Mestičević, a craftsman from Zadar. Contact Natasa Lujic for more info
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