Šibenik Cathedral

cathedral in Croatia

Key facts

Location: Trg Republike Hrvatske 1, Šibenik , Croatia
Denomination: Roman Catholic
Status: Cathedral
Founded: 9 April 1431 ( 1431-04-09 )
Functional status: In use
Heritage designation: Register of Cultural Goods of Croatia
Architect s: Juraj Dalmatinac , Nikola Firentinac , Lorenzo Pincino
Style: Renaissance
Years built: 105 years
Capacity: 2,800
Length: 38 m (125 ft)
Width: 14 m (46 ft)
Height

Article

The Cathedral of St. James (Croatian: Katedrala sv. Jakova) or simply Šibenik Cathedral is a triple-nave Catholic cathedral with three apses and a dome (32 m high inside) in Šibenik, Croatia. It is the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Šibenik. It is often known as "St. Jacob's", because Croatian, like many other languages, uses the same name for both "James" and "Jacob". It is dedicated to Saint James the Great.

It was built entirely from stone between 1431 and 1536, the cathedral was designed by several prominent architects, most notably Juraj Dalmatinac and Nikola Firentinac, whose innovative construction techniques shaped its unique appearance. The cathedral is famous for its monumental stone dome, richly decorated portals, and the remarkable frieze of carved human heads surrounding the apses, which are considered to be individual portraits of people from Dalmatia at the time.