THE GOLD AND SILVER OF ZADAR
Gold and silver of Zadar
The exhibition "Gold and Silver of Zadar", initiated in 1951 by the Croatian
writer Miroslav Krleza, was transformed in 1976 into a permanent display of the
Permanent Exhibition of Ecclesiastic Art in the Benedictine Convent of St. Mary
in Zadar. The gold and silver of Zadar shine on a surface area of about 1200 m2
in 8 modernly equipped halls.
Also included are manuscripts, sculptures, embroideries, tapestry, reliefs,
etc., as evidence of the rich past of Zadar from the 8th to 18th centuries, as a
town which was an important cultural center, particularly in the Middle Ages.
Joys, hopes, patience, suffering, and faith of the tumultuous era of this
region's history are woven into the relics and chalices, sculptures, paintings,
and embroideries. This priceless treasure has been preserved by the Benedictine
nuns throughout the years, as well as during the Patriotic Defense War, and some
valuable exhibit items (lace, church fabrics embroidered with golden threads)
were produced by the nuns' hands.
The Permanent Exhibition of Ecclesiastic Art places Zadar among the great
cultural capitals as such a collection of valuable and exquisite religious works
of art all in one place can only be seen in the greatest European centers.
