Tea at the Benedictine Monastery

The first female Benedictine monastery was built in the early 14th century in the old town of Pag, on Pag Island, and after the end of the 15th century, when the residents of Pag moved to the present location, the new Benedictine monastery was erected on the site where it is still located. The Benedictines brought the art of making lace to Pag. They were engaged in teaching and are responsible for making lace the source of income for many Pag women and their families. Today Pag’s lace is on UNESCO’s list of intangible cultural heritage. Paški baškotin is known and protected as the original Croatian product which the Benedictines of Pag Island have been preparing following a process that is more than 300 years old. All their products are produced in small series and made exclusively manually. The Benedictine monastery holds numerous valuable art objects and paintings. The most significant one is the relic of the Holy Trinity which the Benedictines have been preserving for seven centuries. Sveti Trn was brought by the brother of one of the benedictines as a gift when she vowed in the monastery of Pag Island. This thorn is, along with the Thorn crown from the Notre Dame Cathedral of Paris, the only Holy Trinity in the world that has the official Vatican’s certification that it was really on Jesus Christ’s head during his torment at the crucifixion. During their long history, the Benedictines prayed, worked and have been through good and bad times with the people of the city of Pag. Even today, koludrice (as the local population calls them) live on the principle of St. Benedict: “Pray and work” (“Ora et lavora”). They live quietly and peacefully, behind the walls and gates of the monastery, in a way they have chosen. Their day is filled with prayer and work.

Many of us would like, at least briefly, to stroll behind the walls of the monastery and see the part of this peaceful life that we all yearn for. We asked the Benedictines to allow us a brief visit. They have heard our prayers. They will lead us through the church, the lace museum and an exhibition of church art, through some parts of the monastery and palace, and then will honor us with the delicacies that they themselves have produced praying for all of us. And we feel very grateful for that!

Entering the monastery at 10:30 h.

A tour of the church, a lace museum and a museum of church art.

Tea or coffee with the nuns of the Benedictine monastery and the tasting of products made with prayer: rakija or lemoncelo, hard and / or soft baškotin, kolacić, štrike, rafioli.

End of tour at 11:30 h.