Šibenik town hall, town hall on Trg Republike Hrvatske, Šibenik, Croatia
Šibenik town hall is a Renaissance structure built between 1533 and 1546, positioned on the north side of Republic of Croatia Square facing St. Jacob's Cathedral. The two-story building features a ground floor with nine round arches supported by columns and an upper floor with a decorated balcony featuring lion head reliefs.
The building was constructed in the early 1500s to serve as the seat of local government and town council meetings. It was completely destroyed during an Allied bombing raid on December 13, 1943, and subsequently reconstructed to its original appearance by architect Harold Bilinić after the war.
The ground floor once held the municipal legal offices, while the upper floor housed the court; council sessions met in the hall upstairs. Since the postwar reconstruction the upper hall has been used for civil marriages and occasional city events, and the ground floor now serves as a catering venue.
The town hall is located on a busy central square that is easily walkable and visible to most visitors. The ground floor houses a restaurant where you can relax and view the building's interior, while the upper floor is reserved for special events and ceremonies.
A small bell called 'on the preslice' once hung on the side of the building to summon nobles and townspeople to council meetings, demonstrating how practical details shaped Renaissance design. Two beautiful staircases were added in the 1700s by local builder Ivan Skok and remain visible today.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,381 contributors worldwide.
