Church of Holy Salvation, Pre-Romanesque church near Cetina spring, Croatia
Church of Holy Salvation is a stone building with a long central nave and three apses, topped with a bell tower and a two-story western section. Five pairs of buttresses support the structure on the outside, providing extra strength to the walls.
The building was constructed in the late 9th century under a local administrator named Gastika. Later, in the 13th century, the structure underwent changes when the central apse was redesigned with a rectangular shape.
For centuries, this place served as a burial ground where local people laid their dead to rest with personal belongings. The jewelry and coins discovered in the graves show how people lived and traded during the Middle Ages.
The church sits about 8 kilometers northwest of Vrlika and is protected as a cultural monument. Visitors should dress respectfully and enter with care, as this is both a religious and historical site.
This building preserves the only surviving bell tower from before the church schism among 9th-century Croatian churches. This architectural feature makes it a rare example of early medieval construction in the region.
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