• Home

The Complete Pilgrim - Religious Travel Sites

Howard Kramer's, The Complete Pilgrim, Religious Travel Site

  • AMERICAN RELIGIOUS SITES
  • CHRISTIAN SITES
  • JEWISH SITES
  • CATHOLIC SITES
  • INDIAN/HINDU SITES
  • HOLIDAY SITES
  • CASTLES
  • BATTLEFIELDS
  • MOUNTAINS
  • NATURE
  • WILDLIFE SITES
  • PHOTO GALLERIES
  • ARCHIVES
  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CATHEDRAL OF THE ASSUMPTION OF THE VIRGIN MARY

February 15, 2015 By Howard Kramer Leave a Comment

Dubrovnik, Croatia

Since ancient times, the Dalmatian Coast has long marked the border between the Roman Catholic West and the Greek Orthodox East and later the Ottoman Islamic East.  This made Dubrovnik a critical waystation for Catholic pilgrims enroute to the Holy Land.  Furthermore, Dubrovnik was one of the major Maritime Republics active during the Renaissance.  Therefore it is not surprising that this ancient, beautiful port city boasts perhaps the best collection of Catholic churches in southeastern Europe.  The grandest of these, and arguably the most important Catholic church in the Balkans, is the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which houses the relics of St. Blaise, one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers of the Church.

History

Blaise was one of the truly great heroes of the Church at the turn of the 4th century, and one of the last major pre-Constantine martyrs.  Little is known of his early life, except that he was born in Armenia sometime around 270 AD, probably in or near Sebastea.  He is known to have practiced medicine, and was probably part of the Christian community in Armenia prior to its legalization in that country in 301.  According to tradition, he plied his trade among the ruling elite, but in his spare time gave free aid to the poor of the city as well.

Blaise was certainly an active Christian in the early 4th century.  Although technically not part of the Roman Empire at the time, Armenia likely suffered at least some fallout from the horrific persecutions of Diocletian ravaging the Christian communities to the west.  At the very least Sebastea saw an inflow of refugees.  Blaise, who became bishop of Sabastea around that time, probably found himself caring for a very large community of both native-born Christians and refugees from Asia Minor.

Throughout his tenure as bishop, Blaise became known for his care for the sick and infirm.  As a physician, most of his work was probably day-to-day care; but miraculous healings were also attributed to him.  Crowds came to Blaise from far and wide to seek healing.  His most famous miracle was curing a young boy who was choking to death on a fish bone.

Although Christianity was legalized in 313 AD, pogroms against the Christians continued to persist here and there throughout the empire.  In 316, one Agricola, the local governor, launched a violent assault on the Christians of Armenia.  Blaise was seized, and when he refused to renounce his faith, was brutally beaten and beheaded.  A cult instantly grew up around this popular figure, and he was later named not only a saint but one of the Fourteen Holy Helpers of the Church.  His relics were moved to Dubrovnik, probably sometime around the Crusades.  His shrine is now the most venerated Catholic chrine on the Dalmation coast.

Visiting

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, also known as St. Blaise’s Church, is a large but not giant edifice, with a greater focus on beauty rather than size. Although a church has stood on this spot since medieval times, previous structures were destroyed several times, and the current building largely dates to the 18th century.  It is a classic baroque structure with an intricate façade crowned by a statue of St. Blaise.  Built of the same white stone that all of the buildings of the city are famous for, the cathedral is most easily distinguished by its towering black dome.

The cathedral interior is traditional baroque design.  Focus for pilgrims and visitors is on the church’s treasures.  Highlights include a 15th century gold and silver statue of St. Blaise.  A reliquary contains his head, his hands and pieces of his throat.  The latter no doubt is in honor of the miraculous saving of the choking boy.

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary is located inside the old walls on the east side of the city, close to the Rector’s Palace and the Old Port.  It is open daily from 8:00am-7:00pm (note that there is a four hour break for lunch starting at noon).  There is no charge for admission.  Web: http://croatia.hr (official tourism website of Croatia).

Other Sites

Considering its small, compact size, Dubrovnik is home to a surprising number of churches worth a visit.  Among the most popular are the St. Savior Church and especially the city’s Franciscan Monastery, which has a wonderful ancient library and other treasures.

Filed Under: Early Christian Site, Gravesite Saint, Roman Catholic Tagged With: Balkans

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

About Howard Kramer

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is a culmination of years of his work and passion.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

THE COMPLETE AMERICAN PILGRIM – NOW AVAILABLE ON AMAZON

THE COMPLETE PILGRIM

Welcome to The Complete Pilgrim(TM)! This site, created by Howard Kramer, is a combination travel blog and online guide to the world's greatest sites of religious interest (with some historic and recreational places thrown in for good measure). All written content has been originally researched and produced and is provided free for public research and enjoyment. Thank you for visiting!

Site of the Week

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

WITTENBERG CASTLE CHURCH

Wittenberg, Germany The … [Read More...]

Friends of TCP Spotlight

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

5 PLACES TO VISIT IN HISTORIC PHILADELPHIA – MUSLIM TRAVEL ROCKS

by Glory Ali The City of Brotherly Love offers tons to see and do and get this, it’s FREE. That’s right you heard it right it’s FREE. Click here for complete article  

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

MOVING THE U.S. EMBASSY TO JERUSALEM – FAITH IN FAITHS

by Mary Neuhauser President Trump recently announced his intentions to move the United States Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, thereby recognizing Jerusalem as the official capital of Israel. The purpose of this article is to give you a brief overview of what this decision means and why it matters. Click here for […]

Photo of the Week

BASILICA OF ST. DENIS

Last month, I visited one of the most fascinating churches I have ever been to, the almost completely ignored Basilica of St. Denis in the northern suburbs of Paris.  Almost every French monarch is buried here, and almost nobody goes here.  Here are some pics I took:

Basilica of St. Denis

Tomb of Clovis

Tomb of Clovis

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tombs of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Tomb of Louis XIV The Sun King

Royal Tombs

Royal Tombs

The Crypt

The Crypt

 

 

 

 

Follow us!

Where would you like to go?

Africa (North) Africa (Sub-Sahara) Arabia Armenia/Azerbaijan/Georgia Australia/Pacific Austria/Switzerland Balkans Belgium/Netherlands British Isles Canada Caribbean Central Asia China Czech Republic Egypt France Germany Greece Hungary/Romania/Bulgaria India (NE)/Nepal India (NW) India (South)/Sri Lanka Iran/Iraq Israel Italy/Malta Japan/Korea Latin America Mexico Palestine Poland/Lithuania Russia Scandinavia Southeast Asia Spain/Portugal Syria/Jordan/Lebanon Turkey/Cyprus Ukraine US-California US-Mid Atlantic US-Midwest US-New England US-New York US-Pacific Northwest US-South US-Southwest

Contact Us

Have a comment, a great photo or a religious site you'd like to nominate for the weekly spotlight? We would love to hear from you. Email us at hkramer@thecompletepilgrim.com.

About the Author

Howard Kramer is the creator and author of The Complete Pilgrim. He first took an interest in religious sites in his early twenties when traveling through Italy after college. In the two decades since he has traveled to more than two dozen countries and almost every state, visiting and photographing hundreds of the world’s greatest churches, synagogues and other places of religious interest. Howard has been writing about religious sites for the better part of the last decade, and The Complete Pilgrim is the culmination of years of his work and passion.

Return to top of page
Copyright © 2025 The Complete Pilgrim, LLC || Marietta, GA 30068 || Legal Disclaimers

Website by: Kristina McInerny, Notes From Kris, Inc.