Lovreć: Churches, Stećci and Archaeological History

Lovreć brings together different historical periods: churches and their furnishings, medieval Stećci, prehistoric fortifications and summer cultural events. When choosing a hotel for your stay, these highlights can help you shape your trip around a particular theme. The sites differ both in their periods and in the kinds of historical traces they preserve.

Churches and Dated Art

The old Church of the Holy Spirit in Lovreć reached its final form in 1755 and was consecrated on 7 July 1759. The main altar features a wooden painting of the Descent of the Holy Spirit, dated 1737. A cemetery with Stećci lies near the church. The artwork, the building’s form and its consecration thus offer three distinct points of reference in time. The Church of Saint Ante also has a specific historical connection: the first mass there was celebrated on 15 November 1933.

Mramori (Kamenjak): Necropolis East of Lovreć

Mramori (Kamenjak) lies east of Lovreć, beside the Trilj–Imotski road. The site is a medieval cemetery with Stećci dating from the 15th century, beside an old communication route. Around 20 Stećci of various types and a cross-shaped stone have survived. Their approximate number and varied forms give a tangible impression of the surviving tombstones, while the dating places the necropolis in its historical context.

Bošnjakova gradina and Its Construction Phases

Bošnjakova gradina lies 631 metres above sea level, north of Lovreć and above the hamlet of Bošnjaci. It first developed as a prehistoric hillfort with a large dry-stone wall. Later, a medieval fortification with a square tower was built there. Two distinct construction phases can therefore be identified at the site: the prehistoric hillfort and the later medieval complex.

In the wider destination of Općina Lovreć, Bošnjakova gradina is also known as Vrhgradina. Its earliest inhabitants lived there at the end of the 10th or the beginning of the 9th century BC. The site was continuously inhabited during much of the Iron Age; finds such as bronze jewellery at the eastern wall attest to this settlement.

Culture and Seasonal Events

The ethnographic collection at the school in Lovreć preserves everyday objects that illustrate the traditional material culture of the Dalmatian hinterland. The Ludrum Fest offers a different kind of cultural experience: an annual summer arts festival held at authentic locations in the municipality of Lovreć. Guests and artists take part in workshops, where visitors learn about local customs. Vitanova Gomila in Lovreć is also associated with a midsummer bonfire lit around Ivanjdan.

Historic Water Infrastructure in the Wider Destination

In the wider destination of Općina Lovreć, the history of water supply is also part of the regional cultural landscape. Bliznice consists of five wells and a livestock watering trough in the hamlet of Mrnjavci. The site was built in the late 15th or early 16th century to supply drinking water and water livestock. Pridivišće in Opanci comprises four wells and a livestock watering trough and was probably established at the beginning of the 16th century for the same purposes.

The wells at Bršćanovica in Medov Dolac were also probably established at the beginning of the 16th century to supply drinking water and water livestock. Raosov bunar in the hamlet of Raos, also in Medov Dolac, was built by the local population at the beginning of the 16th century for these purposes. The dating differs: the dates for Bršćanovica and Pridivišće remain probable, while Raosov bunar is dated to the beginning of the 16th century.

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