Primosten - Our Lady of Loreto

Mrs. Loretska stands on top of Gaj hill in the immediate vicinity of the Dalmatian town of Primosten. The people of Primosten erected a 17-meter high monument to the protector of the city, which represents a popular religious and tourist attraction.

The location at the top of the hill is a wonderful vantage point for Primosten and its surroundings. The history of Our Lady of Loretska began in 1835. The "Black Mary" monument was inaugurated in 2017, on May 10, when the town celebrates a municipal holiday with a procession in honor of Our Lady. Stipe Petrina, the longtime mayor of the municipality of Primosten, is credited with erecting the monument to Saint Mary. The black face of the protector of Primosten symbolizes modesty. The installation of the statue on Gaj hill was planned since 1927. The locals decided to dedicate the statue to the Virgin Mary, as she has been the protector of the city for many centuries. The monument is the work of academic sculptor Milun Garcevic with the help of architect Aron Varga. Mary or the monument faces the city of Primosten. The entire statue resembles a tall lighthouse, which is an association of something divine, sublime and universal. The powerful statue of Black Mary is made of concrete and weighs as much as 45 tons.

It is covered with a gold-silver mosaic and with colored glass and mirrors. Inside, the statue is hollow. A chapel (wooden entrance door) was built in the lower part of the tall statue. Visitors often throw coins through the slits, saying supplications and prayers. The statue consists of seven rings, and the top of Mary's head is decorated with an ancient Croatian crown with precious stones. The first ring is an abstraction, the second is a symbolic representation of the tree of life with the monogram AM or Ave Maria, the third ring consists of two mosaic hearts. The fourth ring celebrates the birth of Jesus, the fifth ring consists of incomplete geometric shapes, the sixth ring has an olive tree and a mystical flower, which is a symbol of Mary. On the last ring are the son of God Jesus Christ and the head of Mary. Both faces are black, which is a symbol of modesty, humility and fertile earth. In addition to the statue of the Black Mary, a small catering facility and a souvenir shop were built at the viewpoint. They also published a book monograph.

In the next phase, four paths to the hill will be arranged, which should lead to the statue from the four corners of the world. In this way, they will symbolize the biblical rivers (White and Blue Nile, Tigris and Euphrates). There will be about two thousand steps on these routes.