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Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos
Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos
Црква успења пресвете Богородице; Crkva uspenja presvete Bogorodice
	Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos
Location	Šibenik; Šibenik-Knin County
Country	Croatia
Denomination	Serbian Orthodox
History
Dedication	Dormition of the Theotokos
Administration
Archdiocese	Eparchy of Dalmatia

The Church of the Dormition of the Theotokos (Serbian: Црква успења пресвете Богородице/Crkva uspenja presvete Bogorodice, Croatian: Crkva uspenja presvete Bogorodice) in Šibenik is Serbian Orthodox cathedral in southern Croatia, serving as the nominal seat of the Eparchy of Dalmatia. The church is a baroque building dating from the 17th to 18th centuries, originally built on a site inhabited by the Templars in the 12th century.^[1] Initially, it served as the Roman Catholic Church of St. Saviour, part of a Benedictine nunnery, until 1810 when Napoleon ruled Illyrian Provinces transferred it to the Serbian Orthodox community under bishop Benedikt Kraljević.^[1]

The church is home to a notable collection of cultural, historical, and artistic artifacts, featuring Italo-Cretan icons, other religious items, and an extensive library.^[2] Its facade is decorated by a Baroque bell tower, designed by the local master Ivan Skoko in the early 18th century.^[2]

History

In the 16th century, Orthodox Greeks and Serbs in Šibenik shared the Church of St. Julian.^[3] By 1600, the Orthodox Serbs built a church dedicated to the Holy Cross, and in 1778, they relocated their services to the newly constructed Church of St. Spas, which is still in use today.^[3] During the French rule in Dalmatia in 1810, the Orthodox community also established the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Theotokos in the city center.^[3] This area has traditionally been the seat of the Serbian Orthodox Bishop of Dalmatia.^[3]