St. Cosmas and Damian

Close to the sea, at the end of a dirt road passing through a fragrant pine forest, near the settlement of Ljokini on the island of Ugljan, stands a small church dedicated to the physicians and martyrs from the early Christian times, St. Cosmas and Damian. On windy days, the sea crashes against the church walls and acts as a narrative prompt and introduction for passers-by, recounting the tale of an ancient shipwreck. Legend has it that a sailor who survived the shipwreck found refuge at the spot where this house of worship now stands. Just as the sea failed to drown the sailor back then, so too has this votive church defied the forces of the sea for centuries, serving as a reminder to believers of the protection granted to the shipwrecked sailor by the holy brethren Cosmas and Damian.

The architectural style's rustic nature suggests that it is a very old building, yet there are no historical sources available to help us pinpoint its exact time of its construction. Historical records mention Francesco Toricella from Bergamo, who designated, in his will dated August 6, 1615, that a piece of land was to be entrusted to the priest who celebrates the sung Mass on the feast day of Saints Cosmas and Damian, September 26, at the altar located in the church. Later, many came to identify him with the sailor whose vow to St. Cosmas and St. Damian saved his life and who built the church built in their honour as a sign of appreciation. More than thirty years earlier, the small church was mentioned by Agostino Velier, the apostolic visitor of the Dalmatian dioceses, in his writings that date back to 1579. Thus, we can confidently assert that this church is over four hundred years old.

Its appearance was significantly altered by an extension that took place at the beginning of the 20th century. Initially, the church was a simple square structure with thick walls (80 cm), featuring a deeply recessed semi-circular apse at its rear end. The roof of this section was covered with broken stone slabs and later reinforced with a cement overlay. Some hundred years ago, a new nave (a space for the faithful) was added, and the area of the old church was converted into a presbytery (a place for the priest and the altar); the blessing of the church in the newly arranged form was led by parish priest Don Ante Nižić in 1912. Two years later, a new altarpiece was made, gifted by Šime Vidaković, son of Bartul, and it was blessed by parish priest Don Ivo Blasić on September 27, 1914. The renovation of the church did not stop there and on May 9, 1926, a new bell for the bellcote, crafted by Jakov Cukrov’s workshop in Split, was blessed. The extensive efforts to renew, expand, and decorate the church had been justified by the large number of pilgrims who, as recorded in the parish chronicle from the first half of the last century, came from all around the island of Ugljan and other islands to celebrate the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian. In recent times, the number of believers has decreased, but the care for the restoration and prayer have not waned. As a result, all windows and doors have recently been replaced, and on the feast day itself, the parish priest bestows blessings upon all Ugljan sailors and ships worldwide.