Church of Our Lady of Carmel

You are standing in front of the Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which has been a silent witness to the turbulent history of Omiš for more than two centuries. This church, part of the Franciscan monastery in Skalice, was built in the 18th century, after the Franciscans from Prološac had to abandon their monastery due to the Ottoman threat. The first, smaller church on this site was built in 1618, and was expanded by the Omiš parish priest Jeronim Dešković ten years later. The church owes its current appearance to the Split master Petar Bilinić and Petar Licini from Bol, according to whose designs the Baroque building was built. The main presbytery was completed in 1762, the Gothic ribbed vault was installed in 1766, and the entire construction was completed in 1770. What makes this church special is the organ by the Venetian master Gaetano Moscatelli from 1792, which was restored in 1996 and protected as a cultural monument. In front of the altar is a marble railing, the work of the sculptor Zefferino Grassi, and inside there are paintings from the 18th century: Christ, Our Lady of the Rosary, the Assumption of Mary, St. Jerome and others. During the 20th century, the church underwent several renovations. At the beginning of the century, it was decorated by Fioravante Ravalico, and it is interesting that in 1978 the ceiling that he painted fell, after which the interior was returned to its original Gothic form. The church's collection contains Baroque works of art, old manuscripts and liturgical objects, and the monastery library also contains publications from the 16th and 17th centuries. The church was an important center of the Croatian national revival, where the Franciscans preserved the language and culture. Situated in a panoramic position above the Cetina River and the Omiš Gate, the church is still a recognizable place of religious and cultural life in the city. Renovations in 2013 and 2014 restored the splendor of key parts, such as the triumphal arch and the bell tower, thus preserving its role as a living monument. You may not have known: the monastery once housed an inn where the Franciscans received travelers and the poor, providing them with accommodation and food, and throughout history it was also a refuge for sick and infirm brothers. Today, in addition to the Franciscans, the monastery is also assisted by the Franciscan School Sisters from Split, which further testifies to the enduring humanitarian and spiritual role of this place. If you are interested in more, the monastery keeps lists of relics, old books and Turkish documents, and books have been published that describe in detail the history and everyday life of the Franciscans in Skalice.