An exhibition titled “Adriatic Maritime Pilgrimages” has been open in our museum since October 7th. The exhibition is the result of the joint project “Adriatic Maritime Pilgrimages in Local, National, and Transnational Context” carried out by the Department of Ethnology and Anthropology at the University of Zadar, the Šibenik City Museum, and the Betina Museum of Wooden Shipbuilding. The project is also supported by the Šibenik-Knin County Tourist Board, the Rogoznica Tourist Board, and the Kornati National Park.
The exhibition is part of the European Heritage Days 2024 and will be available for viewing in our museum until the end of October.
In our region, we visited two sites that are part of the exhibition – the Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary in Piškera and the Church of Our Lady of Tarac on Kornat Island.
About Maritime Pilgrimages
Adriatic maritime pilgrimages are religious ritual practices in which participants and/or the sacred object come into contact with the sea as part of the ritual structure. The locations of maritime pilgrimages are geographically, historically, culturally, and socially tied to the maritime landscape and the way of life of the local population, which is inextricably linked, conditioned, and shaped by the sea. These are religious practices formed from and arising out of the maritime nature of the everyday life of local people. This encompassing term includes practices and locations from north to south: Our Lady of Zečevo near Nin, Our Lady of Snow near Kukljica, Our Lady of Tarac on Kornat, Our Lady Queen of Fishermen in Piškera, Our Lady of the Chapel near Rogoznica, and Our Lady of the Rocks near Perast.
Adriatic maritime pilgrimages encompass all the associated elements of individual pilgrimages: sacred objects (miraculous statues and images, or churches and chapels), traditions, boat and ship processions (which may include ritual circular movements), making a floral wreath, decorating the sacred object with flowers or votive offerings (usually gold), decorating boats (with flowers and flags), stations of the procession (where ritual acts may be performed), and ritual circumambulation of the sacred object (by people or boats). All these elements are variable and may, but need not, be part of individual maritime pilgrimages as intangible cultural heritage. These elements primarily depend on local contexts. A significant part of maritime pilgrimages is the sacralization of the sea. The sea is viewed as part of the sacred and participates in the ritual practice.
Maritime pilgrimages have survived as intangible local religious practices that are still maintained every year with great effort and involvement from the local community. Since these are religious practices, in all cases, the primary bearer of cultural heritage is the parish where the pilgrimage is performed, and the parishes represent the local community. Without the churches and chapels, as well as the sacred objects (miraculous images and statues), maritime pilgrimages would not be possible. Also, without the participation of individuals from the local community in organizing the pilgrimages, fulfilling vows, using their own boats, etc., maritime pilgrimages would not be preserved in their traditional form. Maritime pilgrimages as the social center of small local communities and their ability to bring together different actors within the community are the greatest value of these religious practices for the local communities that are their creators and bearers.
Adriatic maritime pilgrimages are a unique religious practice that developed through the connection of religious conceptualizations, various beliefs, and the maritime context of life. For the communities that practice them, maritime pilgrimages are one of the fundamental markers of identity and sometimes the only center of social cohesion. These are practices and knowledge formed around traditions and/or material remnants, testifying to the persistent transmission of local knowledge and values, sometimes over several centuries.
Publication details
Publisher: Betina Museum of Wooden Shipbuilding and Šibenik City Museum
Exhibition authors and curators: Mario Katić, Kate Šikić Čubrić, Marija Krnčević Rak
Text authors: Mario Katić, Marija Krnčević Rak, Mirela Hrovatin, Karmen Turčinov, Adriana Branka Pojatina, Petra Valovičić, Tomislav Klarin, and Ante Blaće
Photograph sources: Mario Katić, Marko Barišić, Mirela Hrovatin, Karmen Turčinov, Adriana Branka Pojatina, Petra Valovičić, Ante Blaće, Ivan Kulaš, and Šime Strikoman
Map author: Ante Blaće
Expert collaborator: Don Filip Rodić
Proofreading and editing: Valentina Haić
Graphic design and layout: MILD Art
Printed by: Dalmacija Papir, Split
