The old city of Šibenik is one of the largest and best preserved authentic mediaeval towns, Its historical core started to develop at the end of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century and has become part of the St. James’s cathedral, a protected area, which since 2000 is under the patronage of UNSECO as a par of the world cultural and historical heritage.
It derived its present day apperance in the middle of the 15th to the middle of 17th century when Šibenik, owing to the salt and wine trade, maritime affairs and the income from the mills on the River Krka, began to thrive economically and culturally. Iti s from this period that Šibenik’s houses, palaces and streets originated, as well as St. James Cathedral and the Town hall.
Following European architectual and artistic trends, while also respecting their own architectual tradition, the people of Šibenik built houses and palaces with luxurious doorways, inner courtyard with wells and unusual corner pillars.
Juraj Dalmatinac, one of the greates European architects and artist of the period, left his indelible architectural mark here.
In the middle of the 17th century, the city was struck by the plague. Barely 1500 of its 12000 inhabitants and only 10 out of the 150 aristocratic families survived. The old city od Šibenik which we walk along today is a time capsule of stone in which time stopped still.
The cultural-historical heritage of the city od Šibenik extends the marvellous prehistoric Venus from Pokrovnik and the mysterious Rhyton from Danilo, artefacts of thr first people eho, 7000 years ago, sowed cereal grains, live in communities and raised domesticated animals, to the first sytem of production, transfer and distribution of alternating current in the world in 1895.
The gretest artistic and architectural riches of the city of Šibenik originate from its golden age which lasted from end of the 14th until the middle of the 17th century when it become the treasury of artistic and architectural heritage.
In addition to the four Šibenik fortresses, the guardians of Šibenik’s history and the revitalized cultural flagship of the city, the most famous symbols of the city of Šibenik are the two UNESCO monuments, the Cathedral of St. Jakov and the fortress of St. Nicholas.
One can see and experience the gratest part of the riches of Šibenik by walking throught its ancient streets, and it is also worth strolling into its museums, churches, taking a look at their historical collectinos and entering galleries in which many unexpected surprises and valuable spiritaul experineces are hidden.
In the surruonding area of Šibenik you sholud be sure to see the sight of the Byzantine fortress Gradina on the island of Žirje, the remains of the Roman cities of Scardona, Ridero, Burnum and Varvaria, the archaeological site Danilo, a dual early Christian church from the 6th or 7th century on Srima, and the remains of the town of Bribir on Bribirska glavica in which in the 13th century the rules of the first Croatian national entities kept court.