Chapel of Ivan Orsini, Trogir

The Chapel of Ivan Orsini, also known as the Chapel of the Blessed John of Trogir, within St. Lawrence's Cathedral, stands as a testament to the rich ecclesiastical history and artistic heritage of Trogir. Dedicated to Ivan Orsini, a revered former Bishop of Trogir who was known for the miracles attributed to him during his lifetime, this chapel is a place of spiritual reverence and historical importance.

The chapel itself is a rectangular room, characterized by its elegant Roman architectural style. At its heart lies an intricately adorned tomb of the saint, a splendid example of Baroque polychromy that radiates a sense of grandeur and devotion. Along the chapel's walls, vertical niches are thoughtfully arranged, each featuring a standing sculpture of Jesus, an apostle, or a saint, all gazing reverently toward the saint's tomb.

The chapel's ceiling boasts a Romanesque arch, adorned with coffers, each bearing a relief of a seraphim. Cherubic faces peer down from the ceiling, while cherubs on pilasters between the apostles' niches symbolically uphold the weight of the cornice. Near the floor, a sequence of cherubs carries torches, symbolic of eternal life.

Among the chapel's artistic treasures, sculptures by Niccolo di Giovanni and his workshop stand out. Notable works include St. John the Evangelist and St. Paul, both among the statues of apostles, as well as the Coronation of the Virgin in the lunette below the ceiling at the chapel's end. A remarkable bust of the Creation, housed in a medallion in the middle of the vault, is the work of Ignacije Macanović, dating back to 1778.

In 1681, the remains of St. John, the Bishop of Trogir and the patron saint of the town, were moved to the chapel, where they now rest within a Gothic sarcophagus, flanked by Baroque angels. St. John's legacy is deeply entwined with the history of Trogir, as he played a pivotal role in preventing the destruction of the town during a war of succession in 1105.