Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Rab

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary [1] (Croatian: Katedrala Uznesenja Blažene Djevice Marije), also called Old Rab Cathedral, is a Catholic temple located in Rab,[2] a city of Croatia.[3]

Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Katedrala Uznesenja Blažene Djevice Marije
Location	Rab
Country	Croatia
Denomination	Roman Catholic Church

Recent archaeological finds indicate that it is on a primitive Christian church, dating from around the fourth to fifth century. In the 9th century it was rebuilt and decorated with new architectural elements, such as the canopy that still hangs over the main altar. The facade of the twelfth century, the influences of Romanesque Tuscany are evident. The bell tower of the cathedral was built in the fifteenth century, after a lightning destroyed the original Romanesque. In the second half of the sixteenth century also the apse of the chapel of the Holy Cross and the altar were incorporated with a colorful wooden crucifix of the late Renaissance.

It contains liturgical objects and precious relics, including plates of enameled copper and the reliquary of St. Christopher of the 12th century. The church is the former seat of the diocese of Rab, abolished by the pope in 1828.

Between 1997 and 2005, the cathedral underwent extensive renovation awarded with a Europa Nostra Diploma "for the comprehensive research, skillful restoration and didactical presentation of one of Croatia’s foremost medieval monuments".[4][5]