Franciscan Monastery & Museum

Lonely Planet review

Next to St Saviour Church is the Franciscan Monastery & Museum. Over the door of the monastery church is a remarkable pietà sculpted by the local masters Petar and Leonard Andrijić in 1498. Unfortunately, the portal is all that remains of the richly decorated church that was destroyed in the 1667 earthquake. Inside the monastery complex is the mid-14th century cloister, one of the most beautiful late-Romanesque structures in Dalmatia.

Notice how each capital over the dual columns is topped by a different figure, portraying human heads, animals and floral arrangements. Further inside you'll find the third-oldest functioning pharmacy in Europe, which has been in business since 1391. The pharmacy may have been the first pharmacy in Europe open to the general public. Before leaving, visit the monastery museum with its collection of relics, liturgical objects, paintings, gold work and pharmacy items such as laboratory gear and medical books.