Serbian icons appeared under the lime in a Catholic monastery, Croats have been hiding a secret for years (PHOTO)

Dubrovnik is one of the most beautiful cities on the Adriatic Sea and hides many historical secrets. It has often been the target of many conquerors, so it is not surprising that two histories or religions intersect in the same place. However, Croatia has been hiding one thing from the public eye in Dubrovnik for years, and it is closely related to the Dubrovnik Serbs and their side of history.

On the walls of one of Dubrovnik’s Franciscan monasteries, under the plaster appeared nothing less than 14th-century Orthodox icons.

However, this news does not seem to suit anyone in Croatia to be heard, and they ignore it completely, and even hide it from being published, probably for fear of proving that Serbs once inhabited Dubrovnik.

Namely, according to Miloš S. (38), who visited Dubrovnik and saw Orthodox frescoes on the walls of the Franciscan monastery of the Little Brothers, but also saw the Church of the Transfiguration of Christ, none of the clergymen wanted to explain what it was about.

– I noticed that icons appear under the plaster, I immediately recognized the painting of Orthodox icons, because I am someone who regularly visits monasteries, both Orthodox and others throughout the former Yugoslavia. I just love it. He was interested in the origin of the Orthodox icons in the Franciscan monastery. I tried to ask the people who worship there, but when they heard my question, they all turned their heads and left me without a word – says Miloš.

– I did some research and found that these frescoes under the plaster first appeared in 1992 and have been in Croatia since then, but they are not discussed here either. They tried to paint them once, but all the plaster with the paint fell off and the icons came out again – Miloš reveals his research.

All of this is reminiscent of the cult film directed by Goran Paskaljevic, “Time of Miracles”, when the new communist authorities wanted to turn the church into a school, but the icons always burst through the limestone, no matter how many times the the partisans will paint.

It turns out that the icons that appeared on the walls of the Franciscan monastery are actually from the 14th century, because in that place there was an Orthodox church, which the Franciscans later appropriated and turned into their monastery in Dubrovnik.

According to historical records, the church was built in this place by one of the most powerful Serbian ladaras, King Uroš II Milutin, in 1317, so it is possible that the icons are from that time.

On the official website of the Diocese of Dubrovnik, when it comes to the Monastery of the Little Brothers in Dubrovnik, there are no records before 1317 and the arrival of the Serbian king Uroš II Milutin. They also state that “it is quite possible that the monastery was founded then.”

The monastery is one of the largest and most monumental Franciscan monasteries.

It has two cloisters: upper (Renaissance, rib vaults and semicircular arches) and lower (Romanesque-Gothic, ornamental columns of hexaphores, rose windows and capitals of various shapes: geometric, plant, human and animal) with rib vaults and a ride on top. Mihoje Brajkov from Bar (first half of the 14th century) built this cloister, which is one of the best Romanesque-Gothic works in Croatia.

It has 120 pillars and 12 massive pilasters. It was copied in the 17th century with frescoes of the life of Saint Francis. On the wall of the cloister is the sarcophagus of M. Gučetic from the XIV. century with reliefs, and in the middle walk of the cloister there is a fountain with the image of St. Francis “, says on the website of the diocese about this building.

In the Croatian media, but also in the tourist brochures of Dubrovnik, the Orthodox icons of the 14th century cannot be found here, but it is cleverly hidden and nobody wants to talk about it.