HVAR - Croatia and Slovenia - page 376

▲ Franciscan Monastery (Franjevački Samostan)

(Franjevački Samostan)
Starting in the 15th century, this monastery was a hospice for sailors who contracted illness
on treacherous sea journeys. These days it's worth the five-minute stroll from the Old Town
to visit its offbeat museum, Hvar's most famous painting, an ancient tree, and a pair of
monks.
Cost and Hours: 25 kn; May-Oct Mon-Sat 9:00-13:00 & 17:00-19:00, closed Sun; usu-
ally closed Nov-April but the TI can call to see if they'll let you in during these hours.
Visiting the Monastery: Out front, notice the statue of a kneeling St. Francis—the twin
of the prayerful St. Benedict, who stands in front of the Benedictine Convent. As you enter,
notice that the cloister's floor is slanted inward to capture rainwater. Pipes took this pure
water out to the waterfront, where passing ships could use it to replenish their supplies.
Inside, the focal point of the monastery is its impressive painting of the Last Supper
(c. 1640). According to legend, a passing ship had a passenger who was severely ill with
scurvy, so they left him on a small offshore island, where monks took pity on him. He
asked for the biggest canvas they could find and painted this. (This may be more than a
myth—historiansrecentlyfoundaletterinvitingthepresumedartisttoHvar.)TheU-shaped
table in the painting provides the framework for some bold experimentation with perspect-
ive.FacingJesus,frontandcenter,isJudas,identifiedbyseveralclues.Inhislefthand(hard
to see) is a bag of coins, and his right hand is dipping bread into wine (after Jesus had pre-
dicted that the one who did this would betray him). The yellow of his garment symbolizes
betrayal, and the red indicates that the betrayal led to the spilling of blood. Under the table
by Judas is a cat, representing lust. On the lower right, we see a beggar (accompanied by
a dog, symbolizing fidelity)—likely a self-portrait by the artist, grateful to the monks who
nursed him back to health.
Behind the door (to the right), look for the wooden dragon masthead called Zvir (“The
Beast”), which came from a ship that Hvar sent to fight in the famous Battle of Lepanto in
1571.
The museum has a few more rooms, including an exhibit of currency from the fourth
century B.C. (Greek coins with an image of Zeus) until today (see the rapid evolution of
Croatia's currency since its independence); a collection of amphora jugs; and paintings by
Venetian artists and modern Croatian artists.
The final attraction, out in the relaxing garden (beyond the museum), is an enormous
cypress tree whose gnarled branches are held up by big supports. Scientists believe this
ancient tree—probably around 250 years old—was struck by lightning, which caused the
branches to spread out and become flatter than usual.
Nearby: On the way to or returning from the monastery, peek inside the recommended
Gariful Restaurant to see fish swimming around inside the floor. This is a good place for a
pricey but scenic meal.