Summary
The bishop of Tours after whose older church Sumartin was named. Brač also preserves his veneration at a pre-Romanesque church above Bobovišća and in a relief of Martin and the beggar.
Sumartin was formerly called Vrhbrača; its new name is linked with the restored little Church of St Martin.
From soldier to bishop
Martin came from Roman Pannonia, served as a soldier, and then devoted himself to monastic and episcopal life. He founded communities in Gaul and became bishop of Tours. The story of him sharing his military cloak with a beggar is the best-known motif in depictions of him.
Sources: [1]
How Sumartin got its name
Sumartin grew from a settlement of people who came from the mainland, originally called Vrhbrača. It took its name from a ruined little Church of St Martin, which the settlers restored. The monastery and present-day church carry on that dedication. Beside the church is the ‘Footprint of St Martin of Tours’, a marker of contemporary cultural ties.
Martin and the beggar above Bobovišća
The Church of St Martin above Bobovišća is an important example of pre-Romanesque architecture on Brač. Above the altar is a Renaissance relief of Martin on horseback with a beggar, attributed to the workshop of Nikola Firentinac. Here, a familiar saintly motif meets a specific work of art on the island.
Sources: [4]
