St. John the Baptist church Vir
Accommodation in one of the many nice apartments on the island of Vir is an invitation for a tour of this unusual island, connected with a piece of land by the bridge and surrounded by the blue of the summer. Here you'll find the Church of St. John the Baptist and the current parish church of St. George, which are tirelessly telling the story of turbulent history of this region already from the 13th century and now on. Just then it was built the Church of St. John the Baptist in the Romanesque style, with rectangular format, and with a semicircular apse. It was rebuilt in the 17th century and it was the parish church and the center of religious life on the island of Vir, until the construction of St. George's Church in 1845. The two churches are located about one kilometer away from one to another. It is a light walk which can be a leisurely stroll in the sun on Vir which shine on this island for 3000 hours per year. Next to the parish church, it is the picturesque bell tower, recently built, which was destroyed by the German army in World War II. It was restored in 1959 and since then invites residents and visitors to spiritual renewal, which is led by the well-known summer clergies. You can still find the scattered remains of several churches across the island which were built mainly from the 13th or 14th century. These are the church of St. George, located on top of the hill Bandira, the Saint Nicholas church near the tourist office and that of St. Martin in Smratine, where human bones were found near by, and it is assumed that once there was a graveyard. The remains of Illyrian mounds and fortifications can be found walking up the hill Vir, denuded due to winds coming down from the Velebit and the other, from the sea, which bring the taste of salt and the necessary refreshments during the hot and dry summer days.
