
Catholic Spiritual Centre



- 1483 – The construction of the existing Church of Our Lady of Mercy began in a gothic-renaissance style in the direction of East-West, where a large portal stands out. The portal’s lunette holds a statue of the Madonna and Child (the head of the little Jesus was shot off with a rifle, by a member of the Communist Party). The Madonna and Child are flanked by St. Francis and St. Anthony. At the top of the portal is a large plaque with two angels in relief that are holding the Christogram IHS. A holy water font was built into the wall next to the portal. A large rose window is situated in the upper part of the church front. The triangular gable is lined with a richly carved wreath and has a fanned acroterium at its peak. The church’s interior vault is built in a gothic style and ends in an apse. It is a typical arrangement of a Franciscan church with an elongated nave with three windows on the sides of the church, which was a gothic architectural solution for providing light.
- 1533 – The church was completed and consecrated in honour of the Ascension of the glorious Virgin Mary to heaven. The church was consecrated by the bishop of Korčula and Ston, Bishop Nikola. Within the church, there are five altars and the south wall holds a neoclassical altar of St. Francis.
- 1457 – a late gothic crucifix, the so-called Wooden Cross of Badija was constructed. Many pilgrims came to the island of Badija for centuries to see the cross. Today it is located in Orebić.
- 1529 – The altar of John the Baptist was built.
- 1571 – The Turkish armies, led by Uluj Ali stole the church bells from Badija and set fire to the church and monastery.
- 1660 – Pirates from the Neretva valley plundered the monastery on Badija and took the gold and silver.
- 1661 – Pirates from Ulcinj captured four friars from Badija and forced them into hard labour. They were bought back by the citizens of Korčula.
- 1724 – The main altar, which has been restored several times, was finished in a baroque style. It is dominated by four evangelists that hold up the globe on which Christ rules. Statues of St. Francis and St. Clare are on the ends of the altar. The north wall of the church had a gilded wooden renaissance altar of Our Lady of the Island. The altar had a stone mensa, and an antependi