Kosljun

Kosljun is a small round island in the sheltered bay at Punat on Krk, wooded and occupied since the middle ages - Benedictines first, Franciscans from 1447. The monastery covers most of it and holds a set of collections that have accumulated over centuries: a library of manuscripts and early printed books, an ethnographic collection of Krk dress and tools, a natural history cabinet, and a large Last Judgement painted by Francesco Ughetto in 1653 in the church. Peacocks and deer live in the grounds. The island is walked round in twenty minutes on a path through the trees.

History

The first known building on Košljun was a Roman country villa belonging to a landowner of Curicum, today's Krk. A record of 1186 implies a Benedictine abbey on its foundations; the Benedictines stayed into the 15th century, but after the death of Abbot Dominik a Venetian priest held the title of abbot and the island was left empty. Two Franciscan friars complained to the Pope that the monastery stood empty, and at their request the Benedictine house was dissolved and Košljun given to the Franciscans, whom the Frankopans brought in after it was abandoned in 1447. The friars built the present church in 1480, and their monastery is still the island's only household (Wikipedia, Košljun (island)).

The main sights

• An island that is one monastery - Franciscan since 1447.
• A library of manuscripts and early books - centuries of accumulation.
• Ughetto's Last Judgement of 1653 - in the church.
• Peacocks and deer - in the wooded grounds.

When to go

May to September, when the boats run regularly. Half a day.

What to expect

Boat services are seasonal and depend on numbers. The monastery has visiting hours and is a religious community, so dress and behaviour matter. Collections are displayed in an old-fashioned way with limited labelling.

Nearby

Punat is across the bay; Krk town is north-west.