Roman Catholic Diocese of Hvar-Brač-Vis

Diocese of Hvar

Dioecesis Pharensis (-Brazensis et Lissensis)

Hvarska biskupija
Location
Country Croatia
Ecclesiastical provinceSplit-Makarska
MetropolitanArchdiocese of Split-Makarska
Statistics
Area807 km2 (312 sq mi)
Population
  • Total
  • Catholics
  • (as of 2013)
  • 25,865
  • 22,931 (88.7%)
Parishes46
Information
DenominationCatholic
Sui iuris churchLatin Church
RiteRoman Rite
Established1147
CathedralCathedral of St. Stephen, Hvar
Patron saintSaint Stephen
Secular priests16
Current leadership
PopeLeo XIV
BishopRanko Vidović
Metropolitan ArchbishopZdenko Križić
Map
Website
hvarskabiskupija.hr

The Diocese of Hvar (Croatian: Hvarska biskupija; Latin: Dioecesis Pharensis (-Brazensis et Lissensis)) is a Latin diocese of the Catholic Church in the Dalmatian islands in Croatia.

The diocese was established in 1147 after the Venetian conquest of the island. The seat of the bishop was set up in Stari Grad, and the present-day Church of St. Stephen was its cathedral. The first bishop was Zadranin Martin I. Manzavini.

The new diocese was initially subject to the Archbishop of Zadar who was already under Venetian control. In 1180, the island of Hvar fell to King Bela III of Hungary and Croatia, who transferred the diocese to the archdiocese of Split in 1185.

In 1278 the seat of the diocese was transferred to Hvar which under pressure from Venice was then being developed into the major town on the island.

It is also known as the diocese of Lesina.