St. Michael's Church

The Church of St. Michael is located on a hill pass east of Komiža, at an altitude of more than 300 meters above sea level. It was built in the 12th century as a Benedictine church of the monastery of St. Sylvester on Biševo, and during its long history it has been renovated and extended several times. The most significant renovation was carried out in the 18th century, when the church was partially Baroque, but it retained its basic Romanesque features. It is a single-nave building with a square apse and a main facade oriented to the west. On the facade rises a simple distaff with a bell, built in the 14th century. The church is built of regularly cut stone connected by wide joints, and the interior partially preserves the lancets with blind arches - a typical feature of early Romanesque. The architecture clearly shows the transition from the pre-Romanesque to the Romanesque style: square oblong stones, brick door frames, a small round window on the facade and a series of smaller windows on the side walls. The interior is particularly notable for the transition from the square part of the apse to its semicircular vault, as well as the raised altar on the steps. The church is mentioned again in written sources in the 14th century, and at the beginning of the 17th century it was renovated thanks to the gift of a Komiža resident. At that time, an altar with a valuable triptych of St. Michael between St. George and St. Nicholas was placed in it, along with wooden statues of angels. Today, the church of St. Michael has the status of a protected immovable cultural asset and represents a valuable example of sacral architecture on the island of Vis. Although it is located by the road and is easily accessible, it is only open once a year, on the feast of St. Michael (September 29), when mass is held and believers from all over Komiža gather.