Exposition finale du programme ANR MONACORALE au Musée archéologique de Split (Croatie), du 21 mars au 31 décembre 2025, organisée par Sébastien Bully, Morana Čausević-Bully, Pascale Chevalier, Stéphane Gioanni et Nikolina Uroda. Cette exposition présentera l'essentiel des résultats de l'ANR MONACORALE (2021-2025).

 

 

 

Location: Archaeological Luseum in Split (Zrinsko-Frankopanska, 25)  
 

Dates: March 21 – December 31, 2025 

 

Something completely different is coming to the Archaeological Museum in Split! On March 21, 2025, at 6 PM, the museum opens its doors to the exhibition "Islands and Saints – Monasteries and Shrines on the Eastern Adriatic Coast from St. Jerome to Gregory VII." The exhibition will unveil a lesser-known chapter of the history of the eastern Adriatic coast! 

 

In the early centuries of Christianity, those who sought a life of spiritual devotion left cities and society behind to find solitude in the desert. Egypt and the Middle East were filled with hermits who retreated into the vast sands, seeking freedom from worldly concerns and a closer connection to God. But what happens when there is no desert? 

 

On the eastern Adriatic coast, where endless dunes are replaced by the deep blue sea, monks found their own version of the desert – islands. Remote from the bustling life of the mainland, yet still connected to trade and cultural currents, these islands became places of prayer, silence, and knowledge. Here, the first monasteries were established, manuscripts were copied, artistic workshops flourished, and history was shaped. The islands were not only sanctuaries for religious communities but also beacons of knowledge in times of ignorance, crossroads of East and West, and the boundary between isolation and civilization. 

 

This exhibition is more than just a story of monasteries – it is a story of the Adriatic as a meeting point of cultures and knowledge. Of islands that were not merely secluded places for prayer but also centers of literacy, art, and commerce. Of spaces where civilizations converged, where travelers and pilgrims carried not only their faith but also manuscripts, ideas, and cultural influences. 

 

The exhibition presents the results of the international research project MONACORALE and is the product of collaboration between eight institutions. It is organized by the Archaeological Museum in Split, the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments in Split, the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR) – MONACORALE program, the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, the École Française de Rome, UMR Chrono-environnement, UMR ARTEHIS, and UMR HISOMA.