The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik
The Cathedral of St James in Šibenik (1431-1535),
on the Dalmatian coast, bears witness to the considerable exchanges in
the field of monumental arts between Northern Italy, Dalmatia and
Tuscany in the 15th and 16th centuries. The three architects who
succeeded one another in the construction of the Cathedral - Francesco
di Giacomo, Georgius Mathei Dalmaticus and Niccolò di Giovanni
Fiorentino - developed a structure built entirely from stone and using
unique construction techniques for the vaulting and the dome of the
Cathedral. The form and the decorative elements of the Cathedral, such
as a remarkable frieze decorated with 71 sculptured faces of men, women,
and children, also illustrate the successful fusion of Gothic and
Renaissance art.