The Franciscan Monastery and the Church of St. Philip and Jacob

The Franciscans have played an important role in the Vukovar area for many centuries, leaving a permanent mark not only on religious upbringing, but also on the education and cultural development of the entire region. The Franciscans first set foot in the area during the medieval period, when there were seven Franciscan monasteries registered in Vukovar county. The activities of the Franciscan friars were especially important in the period of Turkish rule, as they remained with their congregation throughout the Turkish occupation. Immediately after the departure of the Turks, the Franciscans returned to their former homes and reopened their establishments, which have remained active until this very day.

The Bishop of Pečuh, Nesselrod issued a decree in 1723 allowing Franciscan friars to build a church and monastery in Vukovar. The erection of the monumental Franciscan complex, the oldest and the most prominent building of the Baroque period in Vukovar was started simultaneously. The main parts of the complex were completed during the initial 13 years of its construction, but due to the later addition of further floors to the monastery, work continued throughout the entire 18^th century. Around 1760, Ambrozije Janković painted oil canvases on the church altar. The Franciscan monastery and the Church of St. Philip and Jacob received its final shape after its reconstruction and further building in 1896-97, conducted in accordance with the design of the architect R. Jordan. With its reconstruction, the original single-nave Baroque church was elongated and widened by two side naves or chapels. Vukovar's church, with its length of 58 metres, is the third largest church in Croatia after the cathedrals of Zagreb and Đakovo. The Franciscan monastery in Vukovar was a disseminator of faith, education and culture, and the Franciscans were the direct providers of public education to young Catholics.

The heads of the Franciscan Province founded the first school of philosophy as early as 1733, providing education for the entire province. The school of philosophy remained active for the next fifty years. Among the famous lecturers at the Franciscan School of Philosophy was Josip Janković of Vukovar. Thanks to his influence in Rome, he managed to obtain the body of St. Bono the Martyr from Pope Benedict XIV, which was transported to Vukovar and buried in the Franciscan Church of St. Philip and Jacob. On this occasion, another famous Vukovar Franciscan, Antun Tomašević wrote and published «The Spiritual Discussions of St. Bono the Martyr» (in Croatian Razgovor duhovni od svetog Bone mucsenika) in 1754. In the period between 1804-1900, with brief interruptions, the monastery also offered studies in theology.

Over the centuries, the hard-working Franciscans collected valuable art pieces: paintings, sculptures, archive materials, books and liturgical vessels. The monastery's rich and valuable library is in fact one of the most valuable old libraries in Croatia, containing some 17,000 volumes. The monastery's treasury contains lavishly decorated silver and gold-plated liturgical vessels of great artistic value, dating from the 16th to the 20th century. The altars and walls of the church and monastery premises were decorated with valuable paintings by artists ranging from Baroque to more recent masters.

Until the destruction of 1991, when the church was demolished and the Franciscans expelled from their lands, the Franciscan monastery and the Church of St. Philip and Jacob represented the oldest preserved Baroque monument and oldest building in the town of Vukovar. After the war, the complex was reconstructed and is now registered as a cultural monument of the highest category. Its reconstruction was financed by Zagreb county.