Hvar Cathedral

St Stephen's Cathedral stands at the eastern end of Hvar's Pjaca on the site of a former Benedictine monastery. The bishopric moved to Hvar in the thirteenth century, while the present building took shape mainly between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries. Its late-Renaissance trefoil façade and bell tower of 1549-50 are defining exterior features. Inside are Gothic elements and a series of Baroque altars with paintings by Venetian masters. The cathedral fits naturally into a walk linking Pjaca, the Arsenal and the Loggia. Its position and layered interior make it one of the clearest places to understand the relationship between ecclesiastical history and the urban development of Hvar town.