The Ivinj archeological site is an archeological site near Pirovac,

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

. The site was recognized as a cultural heritage site on 20 July 2012. It was awarded the status of a protected cultural monument by the Ministry of Culture of

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

. The site encompasses a

Roman Villa A Roman villa was typically a farmhouse or country house in the territory of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire, sometimes reaching extravagant proportions. Nevertheless, the term "Roman villa" generally covers buildings with the common ...

Basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica (Greek Basiliké) was a large public building with multiple functions that was typically built alongside the town's forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek Eas ...

, a

baptistery In Church architecture, Christian architecture the baptistery or baptistry (Old French ''baptisterie''; Latin ''baptisterium''; Greek language, Greek , 'bathing-place, baptistery', from , baptízein, 'to baptize') is the separate centrally planned ...

, and the Church of Saint Martin.

Roman villa

The remnants of a Roman villa in Ivinj date back to the first century AD. The villa was built by an unknown immigrant who moved to Ivinj after the Batonian uprising had ended. At the beginning of the 1st century, they constructed a building that had both residential and economic functions. Through later modifications, this building grew into a large rustic villa. It featured its own inner courtyard, oil production areas, storage rooms and quarters for the workers. A separate, luxuriously furnished section of the villa was used by the owner. Remnants of a mosaic found in the villa support the appraisal of a luxurious lifestyle. The artifacts are on permanent exhibit in the Katunarić Palace in Tisno.

Basilica and baptistery

In the

5th century The 5th century is the time period from AD 401 (represented by the Roman numerals CDI) through AD 500 (D) in accordance with the Julian calendar. The 5th century is noted for being a period of migration and political instability throughout Eurasia. ...

, a basilica was added to the villa. A baptistery was added in the

6th century The 6th century is the period from 501 through 600 in line with the Julian calendar. In the West, the century marks the end of Classical Antiquity and the beginning of the Middle Ages. The collapse of the Western Roman Empire late in the prev ...

Church of Saint Martin

In the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

, the Church of Saint Martin was built by

Croats The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...

on the land of the Villa Rustica. This church has been preserved through the centuries, and Holy Mass is held there every year on 11 November. The Church of Saint Martin in Ivinj provides evidence of the cult of Saint Martin in Dalmatia for the period of the 6th to the 11th century. From the

12th century The 12th century is the period from 1101 to 1200 in accordance with the Julian calendar. In the history of European culture, this period is considered part of the High Middle Ages and overlaps with what is often called the Golden Age' of the ...

onwards, people were buried at the Church of Saint Martin along with the jewelry that they had worn during their lives.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ivinj Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Croatia Churches in Croatia Buildings and structures in Šibenik-Knin County Tourist attractions in Šibenik-Knin County