The Abbey of St. Chrysogonus in Zadar – between Early Christian sculpture and the Romanesque architecture

The monastery of St. Chrysogonus in Zadar was one of the most notable Benedictine abbeys on the eastern Adriatic coast. The monastery was first mentioned in the second half of the tenth century, but there is very little knowledge about the earliest (Benedictine) building. The presentday church of St. Chrysogonus, consecrated in 1175, is a monumental three-nave basilica and one of the most significant Romanesque religious monuments in the eastern Adriatic. One of the aims of the paper is to discuss the problem of the first church and monastery of St. Chrysogonus - therefore special attention will be given to the interpretation of Early Christian and Early Medieval fragments of liturgical furnishings and architectural decoration found in the well-preserved Romanesque monument. Attention will also be focused on the Romanesque church, especially on the interpretation of its architecture and surviving remains of architectural sculpture, and architectural influences that has always been in the centre of scientific interest. The purpose of this paper is to improve the existing knowledge of the Benedictine monastery in Zadar, which will contribute to a better understanding of Benedictine (medieval) monuments of the eastern Adriatic coast and the adjacent area.