The Monastery of St. Andrew the Apostle

The Monastery of St. Adrew the Apostle is situated on the protruding part of the Rab peninsula, on the cliff, the buildings of which rise from the very sea, completing the well-known panoramic view of Rab from the sea, in addition to the four bell towers. It is the oldest monastery still in operation of that type on our territory, founded in the 1160s for the daughters of the Rab nobles, according to the tradition. The recent discovery of columns, bases and the capital (with beautiful Romanesque-style elements hidden under the Baroque-period decorations) in the church classified them within the 11th c., according to the chronology of styles. The church was reconstructed in the 15th and 18th c., but has preserved all the features of the Benedictine three-nave and three-apse basilica of the proto-Romanesque period.

The monastery is classified as an exceptional intangible cultural heritage of sacral and profane architecture, where the valuable inventory is kept, such as the exceptional paintings and sculptures, as well as numerous relics. What is special about the monastery is the fact that Benedictine Sisters have been living, praying and writing at the monastery continuously for almost a thousand years. The monastery used to be and still is the core of the town's spiritual life and the Benedictine Sisters are the custodians of the millennial heritage and tradition of Rab.