About the monastery - Malakološki Muzej Makarska

The Franciscans came to Makarska towards the end of the 15th century and settled outside the town near St. Mary’s church. In 1518 their residence was declared a monastery, which was destroyed during the Cyprus War (1570-1573), when in 1572 the Venetians destroyed it for military reasons, and the Turks demolished the church after that. The church was destroyed again during the War of Candia in the 17th century when the Turks set fire to part of the monastery with the church, and the other part was destroyed by an earthquake in 1667.

Nevertheless, the Franciscans survived and after the war restored the monastery buildings. They soon raised a wing towards the sea. In 1944, the communist government took away the new wing of the monastery and part of the older monastery and turned it into a Health Clinic. When in 1980 the Clinic moved to a new building in the Franciscan Garden (Doc), the nationalized building was taken over by the company “Primorje". Finally, after a long time demanding it, after more than half a century, in 2002 the building was returned to the monastery. During the 1962 earthquake, the old part of the monastery was damaged, but it was rebuilt. After World War II, some grammar school classes were located in Makarska. In 1957, the Franciscan School of Theology was once again relocated to Makarska.

In 1969, a joint School of Theology of the Franciscan Provinces of the Most Holy Redeemer and St. Jeronimo was established in Makarska and in Dubrovnik. In 1971 it was merged with the Catholic Faculty of Theology in Zagreb. In 1999, the Makarska School of Theology was united with the Theological Seminary of the Archdiocese of Split in Split, establishing the Faculty of Catholic Theology of the University of Split.

Makarska professors were the initiators of the scientific journal Nova revija (1922-1944). They published a number of professional books in the Bogoslovna bibiloteka edition. After the war, the editorial office of the Divine Service and the library of the Divine Service were launched in Makarska.

Through the centuries of the monastery’s existence, the Franciscans created a library that has about 5,000 books, 24 incunabula, many journals and manuscripts. The monastery also has a rich archive in which 369 Turkish documents are stored. In 2002, a monument to the friar teacher, the work of academic sculptor A. Jurkić was erected in front of the monastery and the church. In addition to the monastery, the Franciscans also took care of St. Mary’s church, which was probably built in 1400. It was first mentioned in 1502 when the Turks allowed it to be renovated, when it may also have been expanded.

SOURCE: https://www.franjevci-split.hr/