ST. FRANCIS MONASTERY IN ZADAR – Places of Peace (Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Bulgaria)

The European Heritage label was awarded to the St. Francis Monastery in Zadar in the 2025 - 2026 selection as part of the joint transnational application „Places of Peace“, which brings together seven sites from six European countries (Portugal, Spain, Hungary, Slovakia, Croatia and Bulgaria).

The Monastery and Church of St. Francis represent a highly valuable cultural and historical complex. In its sacristy the renowned Treaty of Zadar was signed in 1358 — a peace agreement between the Croatian-Hungarian King Louis I of Anjou and the Republic of Venice. By this treaty Dalmatia became part of the Croatian-Hungarian Kingdom where it remained for the following half century, while the city of Zadar entered a period of economic and cultural prosperity.

The Church of St. Francis and the Franciscan Monastery are listed in the Register of Cultural Goods of the Republic of Croatia (Z-742). The complex was built in the 13th century and is one of the oldest Franciscan monasteries constructed outside Italy. The Church of St. Francis was consecrated in 1280 and is the oldest church dedicated to St. Francis on Croatian soil. Over the centuries the complex was shaped by numerous architectural interventions, among which the Renaissance-style cloister built in 1556 stands out. The monastery preserves a rich treasury and today remains one of the city’s most important spiritual and historical centres.

The “Places of Peace” network is a transnational European heritage ensemble connecting seven sites from six European countries. The sites that have obtained the European Heritage Label are as follows:

St. Francis Monastery (Zadar, Croatia), Park of the Historical Fountain of Kaynardzha (Kaynardzha, Bulgaria), Paço dos Henriques (Alcáçovas, Portugal), Convention House of Evoramonte (Evoramonte, Portugal), Convento de San Francisco/Historical Complex of Alcañices (Alcañices, Spain), House of Peace (Vasvár, Hungary) and Trencin Castle (Trencin, Slovakia).

At these sites, peace agreements were concluded between the 13th and 19th centuries, linking them through their role in Europe’s long diplomatic tradition. Although they emerged within different historical, political and artistic contexts, they all testify to the turn toward peaceful conflict resolution, the introduction of dialogue as a guiding diplomatic principle and the development of legal frameworks that gradually replaced violent conflict in governance, interstate relations and the settlement of disputes among states and communities throughout Europe.

The “Places of Peace” network is a shared heritage ensemble that highlights the role of diplomacy and legal order as common foundations of European history, while emphasizing peace as one of its most enduring and deeply rooted values.

By including the St. Francis Monastery in this network, its important role in shared European history has been further confirmed, while the awarded European Heritage Label will contribute to greater international visibility of the site and to the promotion of a culture of peace.

More about the European “Places of Peace” network: https://placesofpeace.eu/.

>>> https://ofm-sv-jeronim.hr/samostani/zadar/