Rokovačke zidine

Rokovačke zidine (the Rokovci Walls) are the ruins of a medieval Catholic church near the village of Rokovci, south of Vinkovci in eastern Croatia's Vukovar-Srijem County. The walls stand beside the road to the village and are reached by a field path. The site belongs to the municipality of Andrijaševci. It is one of Slavonia's most intriguing and least-known archaeological sites.

What kind of building is it?

The surviving remains belong to a single-nave church with a semicircular sanctuary. Art historians trace its origins to the 13th century because of its Romanesque features. The building was later altered in late Gothic style, with the changes linked to the 15th century, when a Franciscan monastery was built nearby.

The Vinkovci City Museum describes it as a Franciscan monastery church, attended by people from the nearby Hrapkovo fortification and settlement. Historian Diana Vukičević-Samardžija places the Franciscan church at the very end of the 13th century. Stjepan Pavičić credited the monastery and church to Filip Korogy in 1415. Andrija II Botoš, who died in early 1441, is also named as a possible patron.

Why is it a mystery?

Sources disagree about the building's identity and chronology. Local tradition has also suggested Orthodox or Ottoman-era use. The site has not been fully investigated, which is why articles about it have asked whether these are the remains of a monastery, a church or something else.

Archaeological research

A 2013 dig led by Zvonko Bojčić uncovered burials from the 12th and 13th centuries, the period of the Romanesque church, dated partly by Byzantine earrings. It also found remains of a monastery south of the church.

From November 2020 to early February 2021, the land archaeology department of the Croatian Conservation Institute carried out protective excavations, funded by the municipality of Andrijaševci.

Condition

Among the county's surviving medieval sacred buildings, Rokovačke zidine are currently in the worst condition. The damage is attributed mainly to neglect and systematic devastation over the last 60 to 70 years. The Vinkovci City Museum published a collection of papers on the site in 2011.

Plans

The project aims to consolidate and reconstruct the uncovered structures and to create an archaeological-tourist park.

Frequently asked questions

Where are Rokovačke zidine? Beside the road to Rokovci, south of Vinkovci, in the municipality of Andrijaševci.

How old are they? The earliest phase is Romanesque (13th century, with burials from the 12th to 13th century), followed by late Gothic alterations in the 15th century.

Can I visit? The ruins are visible by the road, reached by a field path. The archaeological-tourist park is still only planned.

Who has researched the site? Zvonko Bojčić's team (2013) and the Croatian Conservation Institute (2020-2021).