Cathedral

St Anastasia Cathedral & Bell Tower

Zadar · Northern Dalmatia

SCROLL

CATEGORY: Cathedral
COUNTRY: Croatia
REGION: Zadar · Northern Dalmatia
DURATION: 1–2 days

ABOUT THIS ATTRACTION

The cathedral of St Anastasia is the largest Romanesque church in Zadar, a basilica rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries on the site of earlier churches, with a tall bell tower beside it whose viewing gallery is the best panorama over the old town. The cathedral holds the relics of St Anastasia, the city’s patron saint, and its interior mixes Romanesque, baroque and modern elements in the way that only a long-lived Dalmatian church can.

HISTORY & BACKGROUND

The story behind it

A cathedral has stood on this site since the early Christian period, and the present Romanesque basilica was largely rebuilt in the 12th and 13th centuries after damage. The bell tower was begun in the 15th century in the Romanesque style and only finished in the 19th century by the English architect Thomas Graham Jackson, which gives it its mixed style. The relics of St Anastasia were brought to the cathedral in the 9th century, and the church has been the cathedral of the Zadar archdiocese ever since.

WHAT TO SEE

What to see here

The Romanesque basilica and its baroque interior.

The bell tower and its viewing gallery, the best panorama over the old town.

The relics of St Anastasia in the apse.

The carved Romanesque capitals and the rose window.

WHY IT MATTERS

Why it matters

The cathedral is the religious heart of Zadar and the bell tower is the one viewpoint that captures the whole old-town peninsula from above. For a visitor the ascent is the second essential viewpoint after the waterfront organ at sunset.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

Before you go

Access

A short walk from the forum; the cathedral is open outside service times, the bell tower has a separate entry and opening hours.

Best Time

Morning for the climb before the heat; the view is good all day.

THROUGH THE LENS

From the road

MAP & LOCATION