Franciscan Monastery and Church of St. Domnius built in gothic style in1392 are situated in the village of Kraj on the island of Pašman. The monastery and the church were built by a noble family on a property that Benedictines form Ćokovac gifted to the Franciscans. The Church of St. Domnius was mentioned on 8 April 1370 in a will in which Mavro, the son of Fran, Grisogono determined the building of the church as we know it today. On 22 June 1384, Mavro’s mother Pelegrina contracted Juraj Miljanović from Dubrovnik to build the church, and on 19 August 1389, she gifted the property to the Franciscans exiled from Bosnia (mentioned in the list of monasteries in the province of Sclavonia in 1382), and on 22 May 1392, she ordered building of a monastery for them. The construction of the monastery started probably in 1394, and it was finished in the second half of the 15th century. Later in the 17th century, the monastery was rebuilt in the Baroque style and the courtyard door of the monastery originate from that period (1669) as well. The provincial assembly on the unification of the Dalmatian, Dubrovnik and Bosnian vicarage was held in the monastery on 21 August 1464. The Venetians did not allow the Franciscans to stay on their territory, so the monastery became a part of the Province of St. Jerome (around 1580). During the past centuries, the friars and the monastery enjoyed the support of the Zadar noble families and rich citizens.
The graves of the local population in the church date back to even 1569. The tombstones bear marks of nationality (old Croatian and Dalmatian coats of arms, crescent and star) and occupation (a sword, a flintlock pistol – kubura). The presbytery and the vestry were tiled in 1912. The today’s wooden ceiling was constructed in 1959. The particular value here have the central Renaissance cloister from the 16th century, the painting of the Virgin Mary with baby Jesus from the 15th century and the painting of the Last Supper in the monastery refectory. The oldest grave in the cloister dates back to 1569, which means that the cloister was probably built after the church was extended (in first half of the 16th century). The monastery is rather small with arches and pillars made of the white stone. It has 15 rooms, an olive grove and a vineyard.
The monastery also has a museum with exhibits that talk stories about the history of the island of Pašman. The museum also includes an exhibition of books and manuscripts, works of art, church dishes and vestments, handicrafts and archaeological relics.
