The Euphrasian Basilica

Visit the beautiful land of Croatia and find yourself surrounded by the greatest travel pleasures. This Episcopal complex has a basilica, a baptistery, a sacristry, and also a bell tower which is near the archbishop’s place and is the best example of architecture of the Byzantine era in this region of the Mediterranean.

This is a structure that has retained most of its original shape but the natural calamities and many accidents have altered the structure a great deal. This is the third church to have been built in the same place and has concealed many past structures. For example the great floor mosaic of the earlier basilica belonging to the 5th century is visible here. Today this has been recognized as a World Heritage Site.

The first basilica was dedicated to Saint Maurus and is as old as belonging to the 4th century. The floor mosaic belonged to a large Roman house and is still protected in the garden of the church. This oratorium then became a church and had a nave and an aisle. There is the fish which is the symbol of Christ and is found on the floor and belongs to an ancient period. There are coins that portray images of Emperor Valens. These have been found in the same spot where the original church used to exist.

The Euphrasian Basilica has been built in memory of the Virgin Mary and is a 6th century construction and was built during the time of the Bishop Euphrasius. It was constructed on the older basilica and today is extremely run down and dilapidated. There were lot of parts of the earlier church that were used to construct the present structure besides of course the marble blocks that were brought from the Marmara coast. The Byzantian masters executed the wall mosaics and the local experts took care of the floor mosaics. The entire construction took around ten years. There is a depiction of Euphrasius who is seen holding the church in his arms and this is one of the most fascinating mosaics which lies next to St. Maurus.

After the earthquake of 1440, the southern portion of the central nave of this magnificent structure was restored. The destroyed windows were replaced with the Gothic style windows.

The basilica has a sixth century octagonal baptistery which was constructed in the 5th century. There is also a 16th century bell tower and an atrium which is colonnaded. This was constructed after the basilica and has a portico on all sides. This has the best collection of monuments made of stone. There is the Episcopal sixth century construction or the Bishop’s Palace which has very little of it left to be seen. But the remains look magnificent and tell a tale of its great past.

Then there is a chapel which is shaped like a trefoil and this is a construction dating back to the 17th and the 19th centuries.

There are 18 colonnades which are built in the Greek style and these separate the two aisles. These marble colonnades are made of Byzantine capitals and the lovely decorations depicting most of the animals evoke a great sight. The Saint Euphrasius emblem is found on all the colonnades. The stucco work that is reflected in the capitals are magnificently fascinating and tourists like to go round this place and experience these wonderful sights.

The Euphrasian Basilica does not have a wall surrounding this building as most of the sacred buildings had in those days, instead the length and the breadth have been built in a polygonal shape on the exterior while the two aisles end in an apse which is surrounded by a wall.

A visit to this facinating and charismatic place will surely create an unforgettable image in your memory and will remain with you for lifelong.