Exploring Šibenik: Cannons, Lions & St. James Cathedral

Near the end of our two week tour of Croatia, we spent a little time wandering around Šibenik, a coastal city in central Dalmatia. The city was founded by Croats, and it was referenced for the first time in 1066 in a document by King Petar Krešimir IV. Now, it's a fine tourist destination, with lots of history and natural beauty. 

These two cannons were originally constructed in the 1860s for the Habsburg navy and placed onto the warship Kaiser Max. This warship took place in famed battle of Lissa of 1866, contributing to an Austrian victory over the larger force of the Italian Royal Navy. However, only seven years later, in 1873, the Austro-Hungarian fleet was modernized, and the cannons were instead used just as ballast. In the 20th century, the warship was renamed a couple times, and in 1943, the ship was sunk when Šibenik was bombed. Several years later, the two cannon were raised from beneath the sea, and eventually placed for display in front of the Duke's Palace.  

Lion heads! 

There are plenty of intriguing stone carvings throughout the city. 

Up these stairs, you'll find the St. James’s Cathedral, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Another church once occupied this space, but the Cathedral's construction began around 1431, and continued for about 100 years. A combination of Gothic and Renaissance influences, the Cathedral is a fascinating architectural marvel. A couple episodes of Game of Thrones were filmed at the cathedral, representing buildings within the city of Braavos. If you have time, I'd recommend you checking out the full history of this Cathedral.

 

Adam and Eve are on either side of this arch.

There are about 71 stone heads around the cathedral, and allegedly many of them are the faces of those who refused to contribute to the cost of the cathedral.

A bell tower.

You could wander around Šibenik for hours exploring its history and architecture.

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For lunch, we stopped at the Azimut Caffe Bar, sitting outside on their patio, enjoying the fine, warm weather. The restaurant primarily serves appetizers, pizza and sandwiches. The pizza menu had 10 different options, priced about $9-$15 US, from a Mushroom Ragu to Prosciutto Crudo.

We began with an appetizer, "Cubes" in a sauce of olive oil, garlic and baked with mozzarella. These are essentially bits of baked bread, like small pieces of cheese bread. The bread had a nice crispy exterior, with a nice, softer texture within. A fine bar snack.

For pizza, we opted for the Guanciale Truffle, made with a Parmesan and black truffle sauce, Italian cured pork cheeks, gorgonzola, mozzarella, fresh basil, and goat cheese truffles. A very good pizza, with a nice combination of flavors and a hearty crust.

We didn't have much time in Šibenik, but I saw enough to know I'd like to spend more time one day exploring all it has to offer.