Croatian cultural heritage - Business - Hrvatska turistička zajednica

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phasised by an interesting portal (65), nice interior (66) and
valuable works of art (67), and from the same period, the
Franciscan monastery (68).
Many small villages on the island of Cres are, because of their
picturesque location on the mountain peaks high above sea
level, and preserved architecture, protected as particularly
valuable rural units. There is Predošćica (64) and Orlec,
known for beautiful folk costumes (72), Beli, known as the
griffon vulture protection eco-centre (69) and probably the
most attractive is Lubenice, located on a gorge above gentle
sandy bays, with matchless views towards the open sea (70).
On the island of KRK there are also equally interesting large
villages, like the old town of Krk with its preserved town centre
(73), and also smaller ones, like the picturesque Vrbnik
(80) above the sea, as told by an old folk song. In Krk Town,
the episcopal centre has a cathedral (82), whose beginnings
date back to the 6th century, and which features a rich sacral
collection (75). Near the town of Krk stands the Franciscan
monastery Košljun, on a small island (74) with a nice church
(76) and a museum with a collection of valuable works of art
(81 & 83) and archives with many old manuscripts (79).
The famous Baška tablet was also found on the island of Krk
(77), and is considered the most important monument of
Croatian diplomatic history, written in the Glagolitic script
at the end of the 11th century. It was found in Jurandvor
in Baška in the South of the island, known for its beautiful
beaches and preserved folk heritage (78). In Jurandvor is the
copy, while the original Baška tablet, because of its exceptional
value and sensitivity, is kept as a separate exhibit in
the atrium of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
in Zagreb.
The island of RAB, in the extreme South of the Kvarner Bay,
is widely known for the preserved historic centre of the town
of Rab (84), in which the four towers of its churches (87 &
93) - three Romanesque towers from the 12th century and
a Baroque one from the 17th century, are a favourite motif
for many paintings (88). Like Krk, Rab was a diocesan centre
and its medieval cathedral has an interior (86) decorated
with paintings (92) and other valuable works of art (89, 90
& 91). Rab had a particular role at the time the state of San
Marino was being established on the neighbouring Apennines.
According to legend, San Marino was founded in the
4th century by a stone mason from the island of Rab, called
Marin, after who the state was named.
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