Church of St. Peter and Paul, Mostar

Church of St. Peter and Paul
Franjevačka crkva i samostan sv. Petra i Pavla
The church in 2013
Church of St. Peter and Paul Location in Bosnia and Herzegovina
43°20′16″N17°48′31″E / 43.3379°N 17.8086°E / 43.3379; 17.8086
Location	Mostar
Country	Bosnia and Herzegovina
Denomination	Roman Catholic
Website	franjevci.info
History
Status	Active
Founded	1866
Dedication	St. Peter and St. Paul
Architecture
Functional status	Roman Catholic church and monastery
Architect(s)	Matteo Lorenzoni (church) Miloš Komadina (monastery)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Modernism
Years built	1866 (old church), 1999 (new church)
Demolished	1992 (old church)
Specifications
Number of spires	1
Spire height	107.2 m (351 ft 8 in)
Bells	5

The Church of St. Peter and Paul is a Roman Catholic church with a monastery in Mostar. It is located along the river Radobolja, at the foot of Hum Hill. The church is run by the Franciscans. ^[1]

History

The last catholic church in Mostar, the church of St. Anthony of Padua, was torn down in 1563 and the Franciscans were expelled from Herzegovina. However, in 1862, at the request of the apostolic vicar of Herzegovina Rafael Barišić and at the behest of Omar Pasha, the Ottoman sultan Abdulaziz gave away Ali-pasha Rizvanbegović's garden in Zahum for the construction of a church. The cornerstone of the church was laid on March 7, 1866 and construction lasted for six years. Italian friar Matteo Lorenzoni was the architect. In 1890, conscrution of the monastery began and it was officially opened on December 6, 1894. The architect of the monastery was Miloš Komadina. In 1917, the stone floor in the church was replaced with ceramic, and in 1927, bells were placed in the bell tower. During World War II, the church and monastery were bombed several times by the Allies, causing severe damage. ^{[2] [3]}

During the Siege of Mostar, on the night of May 9-10, 1992, the Yugoslav People's Army shelled and burned down the church. It was rebuilt after the war. ^[4] The church has the tallest bell tower in Bosnia and Herzegovina (107 meters). ^[1] It is also the tallest bell tower in southeast Europe. ^[5]

Gallery

• 
  The old church in 1897
• 
  Church facade
• 
  The bell tower
• 
  Inside of the church in 2016

References

1. "Sv. Petra i Pavla - Raspored Svetih Misa". sveta-misa.org. Retrieved Aug 12, 2021.
2. "World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development - Franciscan church of St Peter and Paul". www.post.ba. Retrieved 2026-01-16.
3. "Povijest page 24". franjevci-mostar.info. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
4. "Povijest page 68". franjevci-mostar.info. Retrieved 2024-06-17.
5. "Romania to Start Building Balkans' Tallest Church". balkaninsight.com. 4 February 2011. Retrieved Aug 12, 2021.