Drakonina Pecína

Drakonjina spilja - Zmajeva Pecína - Zmajeva špilja - House of the Dragon

Useful Information

Location:	Island of Brac, Central Dalmatia. 200 m above Murvica. Steep footpath, half an hour walk.
Open:	by appointment
Fee:	free
Classification:	Karst cave Cave Church Dragon Cave
Light:	none, not necessary
Dimension:	L=20 m.
Guided tours:	L=20 m.
Photography:
Accessibility:
Bibliography:	Heinrich Kusch (): Die Zmajeva Pecina - ein glagolitisches Höhlenkloster auf der Insel Brac (Dalmatien), in: Die Höhle, S. 66ff.
Address:	Drakonina Pecína, Turistička zajednica općine Bol, Porat Bolskih pomoraca bb, 21420 Bol, Tel: +385-21-635-638, Fax: +385-21-635-972. Guide: Zoran Kojdić, Murvica, Tel: +385-91-5149787 (mobile).
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1512	monks from Poljica who formerly settled in the cave of Drakonja above Murvica, raised a monastery 0.5 km southwest of Murvica.

Description

Drakonina Pecína contains a famous relief showing a dragon. This gave the cave its name Dragon Cave. It is 5,7 m long, 2,5 m high and cut up to 80 cm deep into the rock. The age of the relief is not know. Legend tells, it was made by a hermit or a Glagolitic friar during the 5th century, but there is no scientific proof of this.

The whole cave was heavily altered and used as a church or hermitage. On the walls of the cave are holes of various shapes and at their foot are stone seats. On the eastern side, above the little chapels are human figures and birds on their nests. Later, during the 14th century the monks moved into new built monasteries nearby.