Muzej franjevačkog samostana Košljun

About the museum

The islet of Košljun was already inhabited in antiquity, when a fortified summer villa, the castellum Košljun, was built on it, which gave the islet its name. From the 9th century it was home to the Glagolitic Benedictine Abbey of St Mary. In 1447, at the request of the Krk princes Martin and Ivan Frankopan, Pope Nicholas V allowed Franciscan Observants from Krk to move into the abandoned monastery. The Franciscans have been present there ever since.

The monastery and church preserve many valuable artistic treasures: the polyptych by Girolamo da Santacroce from 1535, the largest movable painting in Croatia above the altar arch (Francesco Ughetto, 1653), and a cloister from the 16th and 17th centuries. A path through the woods passes chapels, including the chapel of the Holy Cross with a miracle-working crucifix, and beside the landing stage is the chapel of Sv. Porođenje.

Four permanent collections are on the islet. The archaeological collection contains finds exclusively from the island of Krk; the sacral museum in the church of St Bernardino of Siena holds liturgical objects from the Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque periods; the ethnographic collection displays folk costumes of Krk; and there are a numismatic collection and a collection of taxidermied animals. The natural history collection includes mineral and plant specimens and Fra Berardo Barčić’s work on the flora of the island.

Highlights

• Archaeological collection with finds exclusively from the island of Krk
• Sacral museum with a triptych from the circle of Bartolomeo Vivarini
• Largest movable painting in Croatia above the altar arch of the church
• Ethnographic collection with folk costumes of the island of Krk
• Natural history collection and about 400 plant species on the islet

Permanent exhibition

• Arheološki, sakralni, etnografski i prirodoslovni muzej – Four permanent collections: archaeological finds from Krk, liturgical objects in the church of St Bernardino, the ethnographic collection of Krk costumes, and the natural history collection.

Operated by

Franjevački samostan Košljun

Admission & discounts

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Accessibility

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Kids & families

In the ethnographic collection children are interested in the stuffed animals, for example a lamb with two heads.

Getting there & parking

The monastery is on the islet in the Punat bay; the Košljun tours boat departs from Punat.

Amenities & dining

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Events & venue rental

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Plan your visit