History of Visovac

History of Visovac

Visovac is mentioned in the oldest documents as Bila Stina. During the Middle Ages, it enjoyed the protection of numerous Croatian noble families, the most significant being the Šubić family. It is believed that Ban Pavao Šubić Bribirski donated this small island to the hermits of St. Augustine, who built a small monastery and a church dedicated to St. Paul the Hermit there.

Arrival of the Franciscans (around 1445)

After the Augustinians left the island, around 1445, Franciscans from the Bosnian Vicariate arrived on Visovac. They came at a time of major Ottoman advances into Europe and the gradual fall of Croatian lands under Turkish rule. Although in 1463 they received the famous ahd-name from Sultan Mehmed II the Conqueror, which guaranteed them protection and freedom of religious activity, in reality they were often persecuted, robbed, and killed.

Multiple abandonments and returns

Due to wars and hardships, the friars had to temporarily leave Visovac several times:

1639 – due to a great famine, they moved to Drniš
1648–1672 – during the Cretan War, they fled to Šibenik

As soon as conditions improved, they always returned.

Franciscans in the fight against the Turks

The friars were not only victims – they actively participated in the resistance:

– they organized the Christian population in the surrounding area and assisted the Venetian army
– Friar Andrija Resić, during the Morean War (1684–1699), showed Venetian engineers a hidden path to Knin, which was crucial for the liberation of the city.

Bizarre division of the island in the 20th century

The small island also experienced absurd historical moments:

– After the First World War, it was divided between Italy and the State of SHS – During the Second World War, it was divided again – between Italy and the NDH

During the time of SFRY, the Church and the Visovac friars were under constant surveillance and pressure from the authorities. In the 1950s, UDBA seized the valuable monastery chronicle, which was returned to them only in 1994.

As early as 1990, graffiti appeared on the monastery wall reading “This is Serbia”. During the war, the island was under constant threat of shelling by the JNA and Serbian forces. The novitiate was evacuated, and only three friars and two seminarians remained on Visovac.

Visovac as the seat of the novitiate

The Franciscan Province of Bosna Srebrena in the 16th century had several novitiates, including the one on Visovac. The first official mention of the novitiate on Visovac dates from 1568, although the Franciscans had been on the island since 1445.

Visovac, by its natural position, was a perfect place for the formation of young religious:

– surrounded by water and rocks
– natural solitude
– far from worldly noise – ideal for prayer and contemplation
– surrounded by the beauty of the Krka
– a place of encounter with the Creator and all creatures

It was precisely in the period after the Council of Trent (1545–1563), which required a stricter organization of formation houses, that Visovac received official confirmation as a novitiate.

In 1735, Bosna Srebrena was divided into three provinces:

– Bosna Srebrena (today’s BiH, under Turkish rule)
– Province of St. John of Capistrano (Slavonia, under Hungary)
– Province of St. Cajus (Dalmatia, under the Venetian Republic; from 1743 the Province of the Most Holy Redeemer)

The new Dalmatian province immediately designated Visovac, Zaostrog, and Živogošće as official novitiate houses. By the end of the 19th century, only Visovac remained – and it has been so to this day.

What do today’s Visovac novices do during the year of probation?

Today, Visovac novices during their year of probation deeply study the Rule and spirituality of St. Francis, learn the history of the Order and the Province of the Most Holy Redeemer, study monasticism and religious life in general, and pray, work, and live together with the master and the older brothers. In addition to the spiritual program, they also spend quite ordinary moments: playing football, basketball, and table tennis, tending the garden and the island, walking in nature, and visiting the older brothers in Omiš and nearby parishes.

The island is a destination for numerous pilgrims throughout the year, especially in spring and summer. Located in the heart of Krka National Park, Visovac is for many visitors a “paradise on earth” – a place where natural beauty merges with deep peace and spiritual refreshment.

Thus, this small piece of land has for five and a half centuries been forming generations of Franciscans who still today strive to live the Gospel as the “poor man from Assisi” lived it.