Richard Lionheart on Lokrum Island

The old Lokrum cove, Skalica, can probably be found in another maritime story. The existential quality was given to that, maybe oldest legend about Lokrum, by the royal brightness, the crusade adventurousness and the threat of the lead sea. And the protagonist's name: Richard the Lion Heart.
Lokrum Island Image Gallery

Although, consequently Richard the Lion Heart did not build a church at Lokrum, the 13th century documents on the island mention, along with the basilica, three more churches, St.Michael, St.Cyriac and St.Ilija. Until today only the little Church Of Annunciation with its Gothic-Renaissance distinctions (15th-16th century) remained completely preserved, beside the entrance to the Botanical garden.

LEGEND ABOUT RICHARD IN A SHIPWRECK
Returning from the 1192 crusade, the English king sailed over the Mediterranean water in November, the gloomy, stormy perfiduous month on a Venetian ship. It is told that, tortured by strong winds and waves, with the only hope to merciful Heaven, he took a vow that he would have built two churches consacrated to the Holy Virgin: one on the land where he would go ashore for the first time, and another in nis homeland. In the interlacing of the story, and of the chronicle records, Lokrum emerged slowly and shielded Richard's ship, probably on a relatively safe anchorage beside Skalica cove, within the sight of the Old City of Dubrovnik. According to the old Dubrovnik chronicles, as soon as the people of Dubrovnik percieved the anchored ship, they sent their delegation which welcomed the king and brought him into the town.

City authorities honored Richard with gifts and let him rest and recover. Coincidentally, at the same time, the Senate planned to erect a new church, so they succeeded in persuading the king to intend his votive present to the cathedral, and they would in return fulfill his vow by building the church on Lokrum. Afterward, Richard sailed towards his destination on a Dubrovnik ship.