Abstract

The Dalmatian Middle Ages is a period rich in monuments and historiography. During those several centuries, the entire society went through numerous processes and changes that were reflected in all aspects of material creativity. The dramatic and long-lasting end of the Classical period, the creation and disappearance of the early Croatian state, the formation of the medieval nobility, the changes in ruling dynasties, the development of communes along the coast and their influence on the hinterland, the role of the Church in the medieval society, the establishment of Venetian rule, the Ottoman threat - these are the events that marked these areas from the 6th to the first three decades of the 16th century. Although perhaps a little less known and certainly more difficult to research, this wealth applies (or used to apply) to the continental Dalmatia as much as to its coast and islands. The role of the Franciscans in the events of the developed and late Middle Ages, and especially in later times, is certainly a topic worth our attention and research. Although the Franciscans have been present on Croatian soil almost since the beginning of the order, i.e., since the 13th century, in the continental Dalmatia the Franciscans can be traced with certainty since the 14th century. We are particularly interested in their monasteries in Sinj and Imotski. However, the question of the one assumed to have exited in Vrlika, i.e., in the medieval Vrh Rika, remains. Today, it would be a difficult task to point the remains of any of the mentioned monasteries, which certainly does not diminish their importance, the story of their origin and functioning, but also the connections with the papal curia and the noble house of the Nelipićs/Nelipčićs. All this will be discussed in this lecture.

Keywords: Dalmatia; Middle Ages; Franciscans; Sinj; Imotski; Vrlika; papal curia