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| Cultural heritage |
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The island of Dugi otok is famous for its numerous cultural and historical monuments.
Among sacral monuments the most important is a parish church “Uznesenje BDM” in Sali. In the church collection of monuments there are two fragments of stone plastic decorated with threefold braids. These two fragments are part of the same baluster that is secondarily used as a gravestone. Many such sites have been found on the area of the early medieval Croatian state and based on these analogies we may assume the time of their occurrence from the end of 9th to the end of 10th century, which only confirms that this church already existed in pre-Romanesque period.
This church was pulled down 1465 and a larger one was erected. A national artisan Juraj Lukačević built the church. In 1561 its portal was modified and a new one of renaissance form was built in as well as a font with the year 1561 marked on it. Twenty years later, 1581, its shrine was pulled down in order to add an ample space consisting of three naves with a sacristy. It was then given a ground plan in form of Latin cross.
Furthermore, by elevating the three-nave area 4 windows in form of a lunette were added. Worth of mention is also a primitive, but precise drawing of two ships on the north part of the church. The larger ship is a sailboat with three masts and an incliner. It has a cabin on the prow and a high extension on the stern. Ship type resembles Mediterranean ships by the end of 15th and beginning of 16th century. The smaller ship has one mast and a lateen sail.
The monumental wooden high altar dates back to the 17th century and has a Baroque relief panel with two subsequently inserted early Renaissance pictures that are actually parts of destroyed polyptych. These are the pictures of “Mother of God “ and “Dead Christ”. Drawing, shape and certain objects of the pictures point to Padua circle of the second half of the 15th century. Among goldsmith pieces worth of mention are several crosses and chalices of Gothic style and no doubt the work of goldsmiths from the city of Zadar. Other churches are St. Roko from 1644, chapel “Mala Gospa” on the port entrance (cape Bluda) and St. Nicholas.
There is further a range of other ones belonging to mostly pre-Romanesque period, but of which only foundations remained, such as St. Victor on Citorij, St. John in Stivanje polje and from the early Christian period: Crkvina or St. Luke on the position of Čuh and remnants of a smaller church on the hill of Koženjak.
Church of St. John, Sali
Church of St. John appeared very early in documents. Its oldest monument dates back to 1064 or 1065, when the church was mentioned under the name cela Sancti Iohannis. Based on found remnants of architecture and stone plastic, Petricioli estimates that the church was build partly on ruins of a Roman construction and dates back to the pre-Romanesque period (9th century). However, in more recent studies there are conclusions that it originates from earlier period, dating back to the 5th or 6th century. Its continuity went through pre-Romanesque period, which is confirmed by discovered remnants of stone plastic dated from that time. The church existed also in Romanesque and Gothic period, which is confirmed by written documents and discovered fragment of Roman console.
Church of St. Victor, Sali
On the high ground “citorij”, on slopes of the hill Stivanja gora, lie remnants of the church of St. Victor. Pre-Romanesque altar partition was very modest and simply ornamented and thus may be concluded that it dates far in the past, between the mid-8th and the mid-9th century. However, there are indications that it might have been built earlier as well, i.e. in the early Christian period.
Veneration of St. Victor is namely extremely rare in Dalmatian area and therefore this church is the only one devoted to that saint. St. Victor is a martyr saint, whose churches were erected mostly in the early Christian period.
Koženjak, Sali
There are ruins of architecture and fragments of church furniture (two fragments of baluster and impost capital). Unfortunately, until today there have been no archaeological excavations on Koženjak at the place of Sali, so that we don't have any indications as to how the church, whose fragments of stone furniture those are, looked like.
Petricioli estimates that they date back to the pre-Romanesque period and believes that it most probably was built on ruins of some Roman constructions. According to Z. Gunjača's assumptions these ruins may present remnants of late antiquity (Byzantine) fortress.
Possible remnants on the locality of Koženjak at the place of Sali is possible to determine only by archaeological excavations, which, considering the existing ruined walls and discovered fragments of stone plastic, should be conducted at all costs.
Crkvina, Sali
On the small hill of Sukavac, in the southeast of Dugi otok, in the midst of peninsula that on the north side closes the cove of Telašćica at the place of Sali, lie ruins of a small church that are traditionally called “Crkvina”.
It consists of a longitudinal right-angled nave measuring 5x3, 70m and semicircular apse 2,50m wide and 1,70m deep. According to A. R. Filipi this church was probably dedicated to St. Luke.
St. Pelegrin, Savar
St. Pelegrin (World Heritage Site) is a pre-Romanesque construction of central shape, angular ground plan with ovoid dome on pillars. Although the date of its origin is a matter of dispute and some scientists estimate that it was built even before the 9th century, it presents an original specimen of that architecture period.
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