engleski

Knights of the Hospital of St John in Northwest Croatia: the Bela Preceptory

In northwest Croatia there once existed the great Bela Preceptory of the Knights of St John, named after the Bela castle. There were other buildings on the territory of the Preceptory which also probably belonged to the Knights of St John, primarily the large fort of Gradisce as well as small castle located in today’ s Ivanec. Sparse historical sources provide some information on the life of the Knights of St John in the Preceptory and their co-existence with the local population. Archeological excavations have been conducted in several localities during the past ten years, most extensively in Ivanec where they revealed the foundations of a Renaissance town which had probably developed from the small castle of the Knights of St John. The excavations focused on the area of the Gothic church of St John which had been under the patronage of the Knights of St John. The church is characterised by strong walls of a rectangular shrine but also by the older graves of the local population. In addition to the presented excavations in Ivanec, the locality is also considered from the point of view of its neighbouring localities of Bela and Gradisce where excavations were also conducted.

Knights of the Hospital of St John; northwest Croatia; Bela Preceptory; Bela castle; Ivanec; Gradišče; Archeological excavations; church of St John

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