Summary
The stone monument to Pope John Paul II beside the parish church in Selca is the work of Kuzma Kovačić. It was unveiled on 7 September 1996 and is one of the best-known independent sculptures in the village centre.
The stone monument to Pope John Paul II beside the parish church in Selca is the work of Kuzma Kovačić. It was unveiled on 7 September 1996 and is one of the best-known independent sculptures in the village centre.
Competition and unveiling
The initiative to erect the monument came from parish priest Stanko Jerčić, with the support of the village. According to the municipality’s account on the monument’s twentieth anniversary, around fifty proposals were submitted, and the jury selected Kuzma Kovačić’s design in July 1995.
The monument was officially unveiled on 7 September 1996. The area beside the church was landscaped to architect Emil Šverko’s design, so the sculpture can also be viewed in relation to its architectural setting.
A figure carved in Brač stone
The monument depicts the Pope as a full-length standing figure. It is carved from stone, with an emphatically upright silhouette and carefully shaped clothing. The artist’s catalogue confirms Selca, the year 1996 and Brač stone as the material.
Distinguish this work from Meštrović’s Christ the King inside the neighbouring church and from the busts in the Park of Gratitude. Their proximity does not mean that they are one sculpture or by the same artist.
Access and visiting
View the sculpture from outside, beside the Church of Christ the King. During services and other gatherings, adapt your approach to the use of the church grounds.
