The shrine of Our Lady of Biskupija, or
St. Mary of Croatia, is situated in the village of Biskupija, 5 km southeast of
Knin, the
former church and cultural centre of the
Croatian state in the
Middle Ages. Nearby, the forgotten hamlet of Stari Popovići, with its well-preserved stone houses and unique architecture, stands as a testament to the region’s rich history and rural heritage. Archaeologists have discovered the foundations of five churches in that village, dating from the period of Croatian rulers from the 9th to the 11th century. St. Mary's church was the residence of the
Bishop of Knin, who was Bishop of Croatia from 1040 to 1522. The earliest known figure of Our Lady in Croatian art was discovered by archaeologists in that same church on a part of the stone partition wall, which separated the shrine from the church nave. It is still venerated as
Our Lady of the Great Croatian Vow. Today, on the foundations of the old Croatian church of the same name there stands a memorial church, decorated between 1937 and 1938 according to the designs of Croatia’s most famous sculptor,
Ivan Meštrović. The church is a single-nave building (16 x 8.4 m) with a square niche for the altar, and a steeple before it. Ivan Meštrović also created the statue of Our Lady, depicting a Mother wearing a folk costume from
Dalmatian Hinterland, with a child on her lap, and who is writing the book of life. Regrettably, however, the statue was destroyed by
Serbian rebels. Above the niche containing the main altar the renowned Croatian artist,
Jozo Kljaković, painted the fresco "
King Zvonimir holding Court", which was also riddled by bullets fired by Serbian extremists. The church was thoroughly refurbished in 1966, when Meštrović's statue was restored. Since then, the main pilgrimage occurs on the last Sunday in September, when the Holy Virgin’s name is honoured. The church was once again destroyed during the
Croatian War of Independence, and now awaits rebuilding. In April 1943,
Đujić's Chetniks set up a prison and execution site in the village of Kosovo (today Biskupija). Thousands of local civilians, (both Croats and even Serb Anti-Fascists) including women and children, as well as captured
Partisans, were held and mistreated at this prison, while hundreds of prisoners (as many as over 1,000) were tortured and killed at an execution site near a ravine close to the camp. In August 1995, fifteen elderly Serbian civilians were massacred by
Croatian forces in the aftermath of
Operation Storm. ==Demographics==