Zbornik Lovranšćine (Mar 2010)
Cultural-historical significance of the church of St. John in Lovran (a contribution to the issue of the medieval history of Lovran)
Abstract
The cultural-historical significance of the church of St. John in Lovran is manifold. The church is an important urbanistic addition to medieval Lovran, and its architecture, frescos and Glagolitic graffiti supplement the lack of written sources. Historical data on the church reveals the activities of the Brotherhood of St. John which played an important role in the life of the Lovran community, including as patrons of art. After the discovery of medieval murals, Lovran has become one of the few settlements in Istria with more than two churches painted in the Middle Ages, while the discovered Glagolitic graffiti point towards the early use of the Glagolitic script in the area.This paper does not provide clear answers, it serves to emphasize the issue of the limited understanding of Liburnian medieval history. The Church of St. John is placed in the context of known historical data, the urbanistic structure of Lovran, and the spiritual and social dimension of the Municipality of Lovran at the time, documented through the activities of the Brotherhood of St. John. The paper provides an analysis of the church's architecture and a description of its inventory with special emphasis on medieval mural paintings.
