History of Our Lady of the Rocks: FAQ

According to tradition, after sailors found an icon of the Virgin on a rock in 1452, locals dropped stones and sank old ships around it, gradually building an island.

The present church dates from 1632 and was later enlarged.

Paintings by the Baroque artist Tripo Kokolja, votive silver plaques left by sailors, and a small museum.

Every year on 22 July at sunset, local boats carry stones to the island and add them to its shore, a tradition that continues the island’s making.

The museum displays an embroidery said to have been made over many years by a local woman, using her own hair in the design as she waited for her sailor to return.