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Podaci O Mjestu Olovo

Gradić Olovo, s oko 4 do 5 tisuća stanovnika, nalazi se na magistralnoj prometnici Županja - Sarajevo - Opuzen, 60 km sjeveroistočno od Sarajeva. Sada je to središte nekoliko manjih općina. U gradu su tri tvornice, više obrtničkih radnji i trgovina, dom zdravlja, dom kulture, jedan hotel u koji je uvedena obližnja termalna ljekovita voda itd. Turistički prospekti navodi da okolica Olova ima dobre uvjete za lov, ribolov, i odmor na relatinoj mirnoći. Ovdje se sastaje dvije rijeke, Bioštica s istoka i Stupčanica sa sjevera, koje onda tvore Krivaju što teče do Zavidovića i ulijeva se u Bosnu. Rijeke još nisu posve zagađene, tako da je Republička vodoprivreda izradila nacrte da se nizvodno izrade akumulacijska jezera za opskrbu vodom sjeveroistočne Bosne.

Olovska je okolica znamenita i po stećcima ili, kako ih narod naziva, mramorovima, koji su svojevrsni svjedoci prošlosti Bosne. To su masivni nadgrobni spomenici od kamena, postavljene iznad cijeloga groba u obliku ploče ili sanduka ili kuče sa sljemenom na dvije vode. Neki su s ornamentima, a većinom bez njih. Natpisa na stećcima u ovom kraju nema. U okolici Olova ima desetine lokaliteta s nekropolama stećaka a ima ih usamljenih. Smatra se da potječu iz 14. i 15. stoljeća. Mogu se vidjeti na gornjem crkvištu crkve sv. Roka kod sela Bakića. Prije gradnje sadašnje crkve u Olovu, mogli su se vidjeti i na olovskom crkvištu. Jedan je od tih, u obliku sanduka, s ornamentima nebeskog svoda, ugrađen u oltar drugi, u obliku sljemena, može se vidjeti u zidu blizu sakristije.

Od godine 1958, kada je izgrađena suvremena cesta prema Sarajevu, Olovo sve više dobiva na važnosti kao raskrižje prometnica u više smjerova. Prije toga Olovo je bilo povezano sa svijetom samo željezničkom prugom uskog kolosjeka, koja je do sada dokinuta. Prije drugog svjetskog rata Olovo je brojilo tek nekoliko stotina stanovnika. Nakon rata Olovo se uvelike razvilo i sve više razvija.

Olovo se prvi put spominje u pisanim dokumentima godine 1382, a u to vrijeme baš započelo u Bosni intenzivnije iskorištavanje i trgovina olovnom rudom. Očigledno je da naziv mjesta nastao po rudnicicima olova i po trgovini olovom. Bilo je tog metala i po drugim rudnicima u Bosni, ali ovdje u Olova ono je bilo kvalitetnije i mekše: tzv. "plubum dulce", za razliku od "plumbum durum" iz Srebrenice.

U 14. i 15. stoljeću trgovina olovom iz Bosne bila je razvijena osobito preko Dubrovnika. Bilo je dana kada su u Dubrovnik stizale karavane od 300 konja natovarenih olovom, koje je uglavnom potjecalo iz rudnika u okolici Olova ili barem putevima koji su vodili preko Olova. Zbog toga se Olovo razvilo u veliko rudarsko naselje i trgovački centar s unosom carinom, a ona je spada u posjed kneza Pavla Radinovića (+1415), od kojega se razvila plemićka obitelj Pavlovića.

U 15. stoljeću Olovo je dobilo i tvrđavu koja je nazvana Olovac. Ona je i za vrijeme turske vladavine služila za vojnu posadu. S nje se moglo dobro kontrolirati sve što se zbiva u dvorištu crkve budući da se nalazila na vrku stožastog brijega u neposrednoj blizini crkvišta, sa sjeverozapadne strane. Sada su zidovi i tvrđave posve zarasli, a ostao je naziv lokaliteta "Gradina".

Srednjovjekovno i tursko Olovo bilo je cijelo na lijevoj obali Bioštice i Krivaje, na rejonu koji se danas zove Gornje Olovo. Kada je, koncem prošlog stoljeća a početkom austrougarske vladavine u Bosni, izgrađena željeznička pruga Zavidovići - Han Pijesak, koja prolazi kroz Olovo, započelo je izgrađivanje naselja i u dolini rijeka gdje se sada razvio suvremeni gradić. Gornje Olovo je samo jedna četvrt Olova.

Sve do 16. stoljeća, stanovništvo Olova i okolice sačinjavali su najvećem bosanski Hrvati katolici. Uz njih su se najprije doselili Saski kao rudari, zatim razni trgovci i obrtnici iz Dubrovnika i Dalmacije. Od tada se struktura postupno ali posve mijenja. Postojo podatak iz godine 1616, da je u Olovu bilo 135 katoličkih kuća i 44 muslimanskih. Tih godina u dopisima organa vlasti više ne potpisuje knez, nego kadija. A u 18. i 19. stoljeću, katolici posve iščezavaju iz Olova i njegove okolice.

Stanje je nešto promijenilo dolaskom austrougarske vlasti u Bosnu, ali doseljenici u Olovu bili su većinom državni službenici i radnici sa obiteljima.

Sada, u samom gradu Olovu ima oko 75 (slovima: sedamdesetpet) Hrvata-katolika, dok u bližim selima nema. Dakle, izrazita diaspora. Najbliže katoličko selo udaljeno je 15 km, a njega pastorizira svećenik iz Olova. Smisao opstanka i održavanje crkva jest, uz vjernost prošlosti, u tome da bude na služenje hodočasnicima. Ipak, odnedavno ovdje stalno rezidira svećenik te slavi nedjeljnu misu u 11 sati, a svakodnevno u jutarnim satima.


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Izvor: Bernardin Matić "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodočasnički Vodič" str. 7-11

Olovo Information

The town of Olovo with 4-5 thousand inhabitants is located on the Zupanja - Sarajevo - Opuzen highway, 60 kilometers northeast of Sarajevo. It is now the center of a number of smaller municipalities. In the city, there are three factories, a number of industries, stores, a health clinic, a cultural center, and one hotel which has thermal medicinal water piped in from nearby. Tourisim prospects state that the environs of Olovo have excellent conditions for hunting, fishing and resting relatively peacefully. Here two rivers merge, the Biostica from the East and the Stuocanica from the North, which form the Krivaja, which flows to Zavidovici and flows into the river Bosna. The rivers are not completely dammed, but the republican flood control has created blueprints which place accumulation lakes along the rivers to secure water for Northeastern Bosnia.

The Olovo area is known for its stecaks, or as the people call them "mramori," are their own unique witnesses of Bosnia's past. They are massive above ground monuments made from rock, which are placed above an entire grave in the shape of a slab or coffin or house-shaped. Some have ornamentation, but most do not. In this region, there are no stecaks with writing on them. The Olovo region has many tens of localities with necropolises of stecaks and those with individual ones. It is believed they date from the 14th and 15th centuries. They can be seen in the upper chapel of the church of St. Rocco near the village of Bakic. Prior to the building of the present church in Olovo, they could be seen in the Olovo chapel. One of these, in the shape of a coffin, with ornamental firmaments was built into an altar, and a house-shaped one can be seen in the wall near the sacristy.

From 1958, when the modern road was built towards Sarajevo, Olovo become more important as an intersection of traffic in many directions. Prior to that, Olovo was connected to the world via railway with narrow gauge, which has since been discontinued. Before the Second World War, Olovo had several hundred inhabitants. After the war, Olovo greatly increased in size and continues to grow.

Olovo is first mentioned in written documents in 1382, and during that time in Bosnia, lead ore began to be more intensively mined and sold. The name of the settlement appears to have been named after the lead mines and for the commerce of lead. That metal was present even in other mines in Bosnia, however, here in the Olovo region it was of a higher quality and softer, the so-called plumbum dulce, which is different than the plumbum durum from Srebrenica.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the trading of lead was developed, particularly through Dubrovnik. There were days when caravans of 300 horses laden with lead would arrive in Dubrovnik, which mostly came from mines in the Olovo region, or via roads that passed through Olovo. Because of that, Olovo grew into a large mining settlement and a commercial center with source of revenue, and fell under the holdings of Prince Pavle Radinovic (died 1415), from whom the aristocratic Pavlovic family came from.

In the 15th century, Olovo got its own fortress called Olovac. It was used during Ottoman times as a military garrison. From it one could control everything that transpired in the church yard, because it was located on a hill in close proximity to the chapel on its Northwest side. Nowadays the walls of the fortress have completely grown over, and the locale is now called "Gradina."

Medieval and Ottoman Olovo was entirely on the left bank of the Biostica and Krivaja, in the region now called Gornje Olovo. At the end of the century, and the beginning of Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia, the railway from Zavidovici - Han Pijesak was built, which passed through Olovo, and began the construction of settlements in the river valley where the modern town developed. Gornje Olovo is now a neighborhood of Olovo.

Up until the 16th century, the inhabitants of Olovo were primarily Bosnian Croatian Catholics. Saxon miners were the first that settled among them, then various merchants and tradesmen from Dubrovnik and Dalmatia. From then on, the structure gradually then completely changed. There is a figure that in 1616 there were 135 Catholic households and 44 Muslim households. During those years, a cadi and not a prince signed correspondence with government organs. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Catholics disappeared from Olovo and its surroundings.

The situation slightly changed with the arrival of Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia, but the new settlers in Olovo were primarily state officials and workers with their families.

Currently in the city of Olovo there are around 75 (seventy-five) Croatian Catholics, while in the surrounding villages there aren't any at all. Therefore, a significant Diaspora. The closest Catholic village is 15 kilometers away, and is under the pastorship of the priest in Olovo. The idea of the survival and maintenance of the church is, being loyal to the past, and that pilgrims use it. However, a priest has recently begun to permanently live here and celebrate Sunday Mass at 11:00 a.m. and everyday in the morning.


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Source: Bernardin Matic "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodocasnicki Vodic" pp. 7-11

Povijest Svetišta Do godine 1704.

Život nam tekao
stoljeća mnoga
pod svetim okriljem
imena tvoga
o Gospo olovska!
I. Hodočasnička crkva

Crkve-svetišta ili crkve-prošteništa, kojima dolaze hodočasnici, i prije su se činjenično razlikovale od ostalih crkava. S novim crkvenim zakonom to je i pravno utvrđeno (Kan. 1230-1234). Crkva Gospe olovske je takvo svetište: sada se ubraja u najstarija marijanska svetišta u Hrvata.

Prvi podatak, koji ukazuje na to da je olovska crkva narodno svetište, jest zabilješka u dubrovačkom ljetopisu za 10. travnja 1454. i glasi "...izmiri se Herceg Stjepan s Dubrovnikom, sa ženom Jelenom, sinom Vladislavom te sa svojim zetom, bosanskim kraljem. Ovom se izmirenju obradovaše oba zeta, a obje kćeri njegove, Katarina i Marija, poslaše darove Gospinoj crkvi u Olovo." Povjesničar fra Dominik Mandić, vrlo dobar poznavalac prošlosti Bosne i Hercegovine, usuđuje se ustvrditi: "Brzo nakon osnutka, olovska crkva je postala najglasovitije svetište Marijino u hrvatskim zemljama."

Za osvajanja Bosne po Turcima, olovska crkva i samostan nisu stradali. Crkva je stajala još 240 godina i, koliko se zna, baš kroz to vrijeme hodočasnička je aktivnost postigla vrhunac. "Čini se da su stanovnici Olova, zbog rudarstva i nekih zanata koji su u vezi s rudarstvom, uživali kroz izvjesno vrijeme i neku naklonost turskih vlasti koje su ih, kao majstore i zanačije trebale. Tako se tek može protumačiti Sto su se olovski katolici mogli održavati sve do početka 18. stoljeća u sredini koja im vjerskih razloga u stvari bila potpuno nesklona pa čak i neprijateljska."

Franjo Varadinac, u djelu "Pastor bonus" objavljenom u Mlecima 1679. godine, svjedoči: "Olovskoj Gospi hodočaste ne samo katolici iz Bosne i Dalmacije, nego i inovjerci iz Bugarske, Srbije i Albanije, i to radi čudesnih ozdravljenja. Tri mjeseca traje sezona za hodočasnike a vrhunac je svečanosti na Veliku Gospu. Uoči blagdana, na sam blagdan pred podne i navečer porpovijedaju po dva to dolazi bosanski biskup i osobno porpovjeda. Svi se katolici-hodočasnici ispovjede i pričeste; i to javno pred crkvom naočigled Turaka. Osmanlijske vlasti znadu za svečanosti civilnoj vlasti i zatraži janjičarsku stražu koja će čuvati red."

I ovaj, kao i drugi dokumenti iz 17. stojeća govori o procesije iz olovske crkve u drugu crkvu koja je udaljena više od sat hoda. Navode, da bi se formirala procesija sa svijećama i bakljama u noći između 13. i 14. kolovoza, da se u toj procesiji nosila čudotvorna Gospina slika uz molitve i pjesme, da su se svečanosti odvijale uz drugu crkvu, a onda da bi se na dan 15. kolovoza vraćala slika opet u procesiji hodočasnika. Slično bi se ponavljalo i o Maloj Gospi.

Ovakva praksa mogla bi se nastati iz praktičnih razloga. Prvo, prostor oko crkve u Olovu je skučen: u sadašnjoj konstelaciji, na taj prostor ne može stati više od pet tisuća ljudi. A postoji podatak da je na glavnoj svečanosti 1610. godine bilo oko 15 tisuća vjernika. Drugo, ambijent nije pogodan: Olovo u 16. i 17 stojeću postaje sve izrazitijom muslimanskom kasabom. Treće, prostor oko crkve i samostana okružen je s dviju strana strmnim brežuljcima, s kojih se lako mogao dobaciti kamen ili neki ubojiti predmet na hodočasnike, a počinitelj umakne neopažen. K tome, na vrku jednoga od tih brežuljaka bila je i tvrđava s vojnom posadom, s koje se dolje sve moglo kontrolirati. Kod te druge crkve, kod Bakića, prostor je širok, ambijent znatno povoljniji.

Bilo kako bilo, procesija od jedne crkve drugoj u prigodi svetkovina Velike i Male Gospojine postala glasovita. Kružile su etiološke legende: kako je slika čudesno nađena na tom mjestu kod Bakića te da je sama Gospa izrazila želju da se ondje sagradi crkva i da se ona ondje časti.


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Izvor: Bernardin Matić "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodočasnički Vodič" str. 13-15

A History of the Shine to 1704

Our lives have flown many centuries beneath the holy wing of your name o Lady of Olovo!

I. A Pilgrim's Church

Church-shrines or church-fairs, where pilgrims attended, began to differentiate early on from other churches. With the new Church laws (Canon of 1230-1234), it was also legally supported. The church of the Lady of Olovo is such a shrine and now it is counted amongst the oldest Marian shrines among the Croats.

The first fact that shows that the church in Olovo is a national shrine, is a text in the Dubrovnik chronicles for April 10, 1454 and states: "...Herceg Stjepan reconciles with Dubrovnik, with his wife Jelena, son Vladislav, as well as his son-in-law, the King of Bosnia. With this reconciliation, both of his sons-in-law are elated, and both of his daughters, Katarina and Marija, have sent gifts to our Lady's church in Olovo." Fr. Dominik Mandic, a historian well acquainted with the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, has bravely stated that "Shortly after the founding of the church in Olovo, it became the most renowned Marian shrine in the Croatian lands."

During the conquest of Bosnia by the Turks, the church and monastery in Olovo did not suffer. The church stood for another 240 years and as far as we know, during that time the activities if the pilgrims hit its peak. "It is assumed that the inhabitants of Olovo, because of mining and skills related to mining grew during that time and at the inclination of Turkish rulers who, as masters and craftsmen were needed. That is how one can understand how the Catholics of Olovo were able to hold out all the way until the beginning of the 18th century, at which time they found themselves in the middle of a situation, because of religious reasons were entirely unfavorable and even adversarial."

Franjo Varadinac in his work, "Pastor bonus" published in Venice in 1679 states: "Catholics from Bosnia and Dalmatia are not the only ones who make pilgrimages to Our Lady of Olovo, but also Othodox Christians from Bulgaria, Serbia and Albania, and that due to miraculous healing. The pilgrimage season lasts three months and its height is the Assumption. Right before the holiday, on the holiday itself two preachers preach in the afternoon and the evening, one in the church, and one in front of the church. The Bishop of Bosnia regularly attends and personally preaches. All the Catholic pilgrims make confession and take communion; and in public in front of the church in sight of the Turks. Ottoman authorities know that the about the festivities and respect it: it is written that the Guardian officially announces the festivities to the civil authorities and asks for janissary guards who will keep the peace.

This and other documents from the 17th century, speak of the procession from the church in Olovo to another church, which is an hour away by foot. They say that the procession would be formed with candles and torches in the evening between the 13th and 14th of August, and that they would carry the miraculous picture of Our Lady along with prayers and songs, and that the festivities would continue alongside the other church, then on August 15, the picture would return via a procession by the pilgrims. The same would occur for the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

This practice could have started because of practical reasons. First, the space around the church is tight, in its current configuration, no more than 5,000 people can fit. There is an anecdote that at the main festival in 1610 some 15,000 faithful attended. Second, the environment was no longer favorable: Olovo in the 16 and 17th centuries became more of a Muslim market town. Third, the area around the church and monastery is surrounded on two sides by steep hills, from which it would be easy to throw rocks or deadly objects and the assailant could leave unseen. As well, on the top of one of these hills there was a castle with a military garrison, who could control everything beneath them. By the other church in Bakici, the space is wide and the environment more favorable.

Such as it was, the procession from one church to another for the Assumption and Nativity of the Virgin Mary became more renowned. Legends began to float saying that the picture was miraculously discovered near Bakici and that the Madonna herself stated that a church be built there and that she be honored there.


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Source: Bernardin Matic "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodocasnicki Vodic" pp. 13-15

Zgrada Starodrevne Crkve

Crkva u Olovu je bila samostanska crkva, ali nije isklučeno da bi ona mogla postojati i prije osnivanja samostana na tom mjestu. Ne postoji nigdje slika te crkve, osim što ju je orheolog dr. Đuro Basler pokušao crtežom rekonstruirati na temelju iskopavanja i opisa u dokumentima. Arheološka iskopavanja su vršena 1886. godine, ali zidovi nisu konzervirani nego opet zatrpani.

U poredbi sa sadašnjem župskim i samostanskim crkvama, olovska nije bila velika, premda ju Jurjević i Rovinjanin nazivaju velikim. Prema nalazima iskopavanja iz 1886. njezina nutarnje dimenzije su 12,60 x 9,50 metara. Zidovi joj su vrlo debeli, budući da je standard građenja crkva u sredem vijeku zahtijevao da one budu kao utvrđenja. Najbolje se to moze vidjeti na crkvi kod Bakića, čiji su zidovi otkopani, stručno popravljeni i tako konzervirani.

Budući da je bila od tesanoga kamena, vjerojatno nije bila izvana ožbukana, ali iznutra jest. Tokom arheoloških iskopavanja 1886. prenesen u Zemaljski muzej u Sarajevu jedan lijep komad zidne žbuke crkve na kojem je fragment fresco slike. Iz toga se može zaključiti da su joj zidovi bili oslikani na svježoj žbuki. Jurjević u izvještaju spominje da je bila pokrivena kamenim pločicama. Vjerojatno se radi o onakvim pločicama kakvih je dosta nađeno pri iskopavanju crkve kod Bakića (1968. i 1969), a koje su sada naslagane u ogradi zemljišta oko te arheološke iskopine. Nigdje se ne spominje da je stara olovska crkva imala toranj. Vjerojatno nije ni imala reprezentativnog tornja, barem ne za turske uprave u Bosni. A i prije te uprave bilo je razloga za to. U Franjevačkom, naime, redu postojala je odredba da se uz crkve ne grade veliki tornjevi: to je jedan od vidljivih izražavanja siromaštva. Možda je imala neki tornjić sa zvonom koje je pozivalo samostance na molitvu i druge točke dnevnog reda.

Strop i oltari mora da su bili od drveta pa je crkva, kada je bila zahvaćena požarom, tako brzo izgorjela.

Zanimljiv je ključ od glavnih vrata crkve. Taj je ključ, za vrijeme austrougarske uprave Bosnom, silom oduzet od jedne obitelji iz sela Oćevije koja je dotle čuvala, i predat je Zemaljskom muzeju u Sarajevu. Graditelj nove crkve, fra. Ljudevit Zloušić, isposlovao je 1936. godine dozvolu da se napravi otisak ključa u gipsu pa da se onda izlije takav ključ u željezu kao i onaj originalni. U toj pogodi doživio je i zapisao je slijedeću zanimljivosti: "Kada sam muzejsom preparatoru, Huseinu Karišiku, uručio original ključa... i kada sam se bio s njim već oprostio, pozva me on sa izrazom vanrednom začuđenja. Kaže: gospodine, ovo nije samo ključ, ovo je puška! I uistinu, glavni dio ključa je izrezan od puščane cijevi i šupalj je sve do vrha (misli se do dna). Sa strane, ispod rosete (okrugli plosnati dio ključa) vidi se mala rupica kao na puškama kremenjačama, kroz koju se očevidno mogao potpaliti barut u cijevi. Da glede toga budemo posve sigurni, preparator je porčačkao željeznom šipkom po nutarnjosti ključa, te zbilja počeo ispadati barut. - To je, dakle, ključ koji je služio i kao samokres. To je još jedan dokaz mučnih vremena. Dokaz je napisan u knjige ali utisnut mrtve predmete, a koji ipak do zgode progovara. Očito je nadstojnik i čuvar crkve osjećao da mora biti spreman i na najnepriličnije eventualnosti da bi sačuvao ono što je njemu bilo povjereno."

Da je, kojom srećom, sačuvana stara crkva uzgor, još veću zanimljivost u tom smislu pobuđivala bi sakristija. O njoj je, naime, putopisac Rovinjanin zapisao da je imala i tajno spremište. U sredini sakristije bio je zid i iza njega tajni prostor. Na ulazu u taj prostor-spremište bila su vrata u obliku stolice, a otvarala su se i satvarala tako Sto bi se stolica dizala ili spuštala. Bilo je potrebno tako kamuflirati da bi se veće dragocjenosti sačuvale od prvih naleta pljačkaša, i od gramzivih očiju tadašnjih vlastodržaca.

Jedini sakrijsti predmet u sadasnjem olovskom svetištu, iz onih vremena, jest jedna srebrena kadionica koja je sačuvana u samostanskoj crkvi u Iloku. Ona je 7. lipnja 1936. godine donesena u Olovo, iza kako je, troSkom olovskog svetišta za Ilok nabavljena druga. A i ova muzejska morala je biti temeljito popravljena. Kada promatramo ovdje ovu kadionicu, ne uzbuđuje nas toliko predmet kao umjetnina - premda je na umjetničkoj visini - niti dragocjenost metala, srebra, nego predmet kao uspomena. Sjećanje nas vodi u nekadašnja vremena, kada je olovska sakristija bila vrlo bogata dragocjenostima, umjetninama i zavjetnim darovima. Natpis na počelju sadašnje crkve kazuje da su i osobe s kraljevskog dvora slale darove olovskoj crkvi. Bili su to svakako "kraljevski" tj. izvanredni darovi. Darivanja s drugih strana su valjda nešto skromnija, ali zato redovitija. U doba slobode riznica se morala sve više i više obogaćivati. Za vrijeme osvajana Bosne i za vlasti Osmanlija bilo je mnogo toga nasilno oduzeto, a još više moralo se unovčiti i potrošiti jer, su crni dani postajali sve češći. Ipak putopisac iz 1640. godine svjedoči da je i tada bila "sakristija vrlo bogata srebrenim križevima, divnim paramentama, bezbrojnim zavjetnim darovima"!

Upravitelji crkve nastoji su na sve moguće načine da crkvene predmete ne otuđuju. Tako su posuđivali novac a ove predmete predavali u zalog ne bi li se ipak sačuvali. U rimskim arhivima sačuvan je popis predmeta čudotvorne Gospe od Olova u Bosni, datiran u Ankoni 16.5.1681. U tom popisu navedeno je, s odgovorajućem opisom uz svaki predmet, 4 plašta (pluvijala), 17 misnica, 11 patena, 14 kaleža itd. Također postoji pois predmeta, datira u Dubrovniku 19.4.1690, založenih kod dubrovačkog vlastelina Kalođere. U tom popisu nabrojeno je, između ostalog, 12 misnica, 15 plašteva, 14 i po oka srebra u krunama i raznoj izvedbi, šest i četvrt oka "teškog" srebra (pokaznica, kaleža i patena), 3 srebrena križa koji su bili teški više od oke itd. Kad je taj pobožni vlastelin umro, sinovi mu htjedoše založene crkvene dragocjenosti predati da namire svoj dug. Ali su se plemići Brnjakovići iz Olova zauzeli kod rimskih institucija da se predmeti ne prodaju. Međutim ubrzo su se Brnjakovići sami postali bezkućni pa se nije imao tko više zauzeti. Fratri iz olovskog samostana morali su napustiti svoj samostan i crkvu. Tada su tu predmeti, dijelom rasprodani, dijelom prepravljeni, dijelom uništeni upotrebom.

Razumijemo postupak vjerovnika, da su prodajom založenih predmeta nadoknađivali svoje dugove i kamate. Još bolje razumijemo Sto su se oni upotrebljivali i dalje pa time i trošili. Ali nas boli u duši to Sto su svi ti predmeti, do ove jedine kadionice, izgubili netragom. Da ih je barem negdje pronaći pa gledati, ili eventualno otkupiti!

Uz svetohranište i oltare, najvažniji ures olovske crkve bila je slika Majke Božje. I to ne ona iznad glavnog oltara, nego druga koja je posebno štovala, pred kojom su se događala čudesna ozdravljenja i koja je dobila naziv: Čudotvorna Gospa olovska. Prema opisu u izvještaju biskupa Jeronima Lučića iz 1638. godine, uz neke dopune putopisaca Pavla iz Rovinja, slika se može prestaviti do u detalje:

Podloga joj je omorikova daska dužine oko 70 a širine oko 50 cm. Naslikana je Majka Božja kako sjedi uspravna na stolici, ruku skrštenih na prsima, a na krilu joj leži božansko Dijete licem okrenutom prema narodu. Nad glavom su joj dva anđela koji driže krunu. Sa strane su prikazana otajstva Navještanja i Isusova rođenja. Pri dnu slike su cvijeće, stabla i neke životinje, Sto sve označava sreću i ljepotu nevinosti. Na samom dnu, u sredini je tekst "Ave Maria". Slika je bila smještena u jednoj nasvođenoj udubini zida, koju neki nazivaju i kapelicom, osigurana željeznim okvirom i mrežom da je duševni bolesnici, koje su k njoj dovodili, ne bi oštetili. Pred njom je gorjelo kandilo. Pa i onda kada su fratri već bili napustili ovu crkvu i samostan, sve do požara, neki starac Šimun palio pred slikom srebrenu svjetiljku.

Ova slika se, na Veliku i Malu Gospojinu, nosila u procesiji u drugu crkvu.

Spomenuta druga crkva je šest kilometara jugozapadno od Olova uz ondašnja rudarska naselja Kamenicu i Trgovište, od kojih je sada jedva ostao navic lokaliteta. Premda pričanju, odatle se svijet raselio zbog kuge koja ih je zahvatila. Ondje su sada njive stanovnika seka Bakića pa tu crkvu nazivamo jednostavno crkva kod Bakića ili na Bakićima. Njiva na kojoj se ona nalazi, skupa sa nekropolom stećaka, naziva se Klisa, Sto je izvedeno od latinske riječi "ecclesia" (crkva). U nekim dokumentima poznata je kao crkva kod sv. Roka i u blizini ima jedan bunar koji narod naziva Rokova voda.

Zaključujući prema stilu gradnje i prema nekropoli stećaka uz nju, stručnjaci stavljaju nastanak crkve na Bakićima u 15. stoljeće. Profesor fra Krunoslav Misilo koji je, ovlašten od Zemaljskog muzeja, vršio arheološka istraživanja na ruševinama te crkve, 1968. i 1969. godine, opisuje ju ovako: "Crkva na Bakićima je pravokutnik s orijentacijom I-Z. Na počelju sa zapadne strane ulazilo se u crkvu niz četiri stepenice koje su dobro sačuvane, kao i dva kamena dovratnika. Nasuprot ulazu, na istočnoj strani je apsida (6,10 x 7,60m) u kojoj je u ruševinama pronađeno masivno kameno postolje za oltar (1,55 x 0,50m), a i kamena menza (1,90 x 0,50m)... Mjerena s unutrašnje strane, ona je za dva metra duža a za metar i po uža od olovske."


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Izvor: Bernardin Matić "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodočasnički Vodič" str. 16-22

II. The Old Church

The church in Olovo is a monastic church, but that doesn't mean that it could have existed prior to the founding of the monastery there. There isn't a picture of that church, just the one that archeologist Dr. Duro Basler attempted to recreate by drawing on the basis of digging and descriptions in documents. The archaeological dig was completed in 1886, but its walls were not preserved, but rather covered up again.

In comparison to modern churches and monastic churches, the church in Olovo was not large, even though Jurjevic and Pavle Rovinjanin called it large. According to the finds of the dig in 1886, its internal dimensions were 12.60 x 9.50 meters. Its walls were very thick, because the standards of church building in the middle ages called that they be solid. This can be seen best at the church in Bakici, whose walls have been uncovered, restored and preserved.

Because it was built with dressed stone, its exterior probably was not plastered, but inside it was. During the archaeological dig in 1886, a fragment of plastered wall with a fresco was taken to the Provincial Museum in Sarajevo. From that it can be concluded that the walls were decorated while the plaster was fresh. Jurjevic in his writings states that it was roofed with stone tiles. It is possible that they are like the many tiles that were found during the digging of the church in Bakici in 1968-1969, and which are now piled along the fence of the area around the archaeological dig. Nowhere is it mentioned that the old church in Olovo had a tower. It probably did not have a representative tower, at least not during the Turkish administration of Bosnia. But prior to their administration there is a reason for that. The Franciscan Order had an ordinance that tall towers were not built alongside the churches, which was open expression of poverty. Maybe it had a small bell tower, which called the monks to prayer and to other times of their daily work.

The ceiling and the altar were probably made of wood because when the church caught on fire, it burned very quickly.

The key of the main doors of the church is very interesting. That key was taken by force from a family in the village of Ocevije, which had watched it, during Austro-Hungarian administration of Bosnia, and given to the Provincial Museum in Sarajevo. Friar Ljudevit Zlousic, the builder of the new church, obtained a permit in 1936 to make a cast of the key in plaster and make a replica key out of metal like the original. During that visit, he had experienced and wrote down the following interesting anecdote: "When I had delivered the original key to the museum curator Husein Karisik... and when I had said good-bye, he told me something which was an extraordinary surprise. He said, "Sir, this is not only a key, but a gun!" In truth, the main part of the key was formed from a rifle's barrel, and was hollow to the top (meaning to the bottom). On the side, beneath the rosette (the round flat part of the key), could be seen a small hole like, like on a flint rifle, through which could be seen that gunpowder could be ignited in the barrel. To show that we were right, the curator took a metal rod and began to pick inside the key, and sure enough gunpowder began coming out. It was a key that served as a pistol. It is yet another sign of terrible times. A sign not written in books but present in dead items, which this incident shows. Obviously the abbot and the keeper of the church felt that he had to be prepared even for unfortunate eventualities to watch that which was entrusted to him."

If, by chance the old church building were preserved, its sacristy would arouse more interest. Travel writer Pavle Rovinjanin writes that it had a secret depository. In the center of the sacristy was a wall and behind it, a secret room. The entrance of the room-depository was doors in the shape of chairs, and opened and closed as the chairs were raised and lowered. It was important to camouflage it like that so that the majority of the more precious items could be hidden from the first wave of thieves, and from the greedy eyes of the then rulers.

The only sacristy object from that time in the modern Olovo shrine is one silver censer, which was kept in the monastic church in Ilok. It was brought to Olovo on June 7, 1935, after the Olovo shrine bought a new one for Ilok. And this museum piece had to be entirely restored. When we think about this censer, we do not become excited for objects as art, even though it is on an artistic level, the value of the metal, like silver but an object as a testament. Remembering takes us back to earlier times when the Olovo sacristy was very rich with precious, artistic, and votive gifts. An inscription on facade of the modern church, states that people from the royal family sent gifts to the church in Olovo. They were "royal" or out of the ordinary gifts. Gifts from elsewhere were probably something less, but more frequent. In times of freedom, the treasury had become wealthier. During the conquest of Bosnia and Ottoman rule, a lot was taken by force, and even more that had to be sold or spent, because black days became more frequent. A traveler in 1640 states that even at that time the "sacristy was very rich with silver crosses, beautiful paraments and infinite votive gifts"!

Church administrators did every thing they could to keep church objects from being estranged. They were loaned money, and these objects pawned to possibly save them. In the archives of Rome a list of objects of the miraculous Lady of Olovo dated in Ancona May 16, 1681 has been preserved. This list cites every object with a description: 4 mantles, 17 missals, 11 patens, 14 chalices, etc. There is also a list of objects dated in Dubrovnik April 19, 1690, which were pawned to a Lord of Dubrovnik Kalodera. That inventory cites, among others, 12 missals, 15 mantles, 14.5 okas(1) of silver in crowns and assorted forms, 6.75 okas of "heavy" silver (monstrances, chalices, and patens), 3 silver crosses which were more than an oka. When that religious Lord died, his sons intended to sell these pawned religious objects to pay their debts. But Olovo nobles, the Brnjakovices went and pleaded to institutions in Rome so that the objects would not be sold. However, the Brnjakovices soon became homeless as well, and they didn't have anyone else to plead to. The friars from the Olovo monastery had to leave their monastery and church. They took with them that which had remained in the sacristy and treasury. That's how these objects were partially sold, partially altered, partially destroyed according to need.

We understand the creditors' actions by selling these pawned items; they could cover their debts and interests. We better understand what they used and later, what they spent. But it pains us because all of these objects up to this one censer are lost without a trace. If it were only possible to find them or to see them, or eventually buy them back!

Along with the tabernacle and the altar, the most important decoration of the Olovo church was the picture of the Mother of God. Not the one which was above the main altar, but the one which was especially honored, which in front of, miraculous healing occurred and which had received a title: The Miraculous Lady of Olovo. According to a description in the report of Bishop Jeronim Lucic from 1638, with additional material from the travel writer Pavle of Rovinj, the picture could be described in detail:

Its support was a pine wood board about 70 centimeters long and 50 centimeters wide. The Mother of God is pictured sitting upright in a chair, her arms crossed over her chest and the Son of God is lying in her lap with his face turned facing towards the people. Above her head are two angels who are holding her crown. On the sides are shown the Annunciation and Jesus' birth. Near the bottom of the picture are flowers, trees and some animals, which all represent good fortune and innocence. At the very bottom was an inscription "Ave Maria". The picture was located in a recessed arch in the wall, which some people called a chapel, which was protected with a metal frame and mesh so that spiritually sick people who were brought in front of it would not damage it. A hanging light burned in front of the icon. Then, when the friars left this church and monastery, and until the fire, an old man Simun lit a silver lamp in front of the picture.

This picture was taken on procession for the Assumption and the Nativity to the other church.

The above mentioned other church was 6 kilometers southwest of Olovo, near the then settlements of Kamenica and Trgoviste, of which today barely remain place-names. According to all accounts, everybody moved out during an outbreak of plague. Today the fields of Bakici are located here, and the church is called simply the church near Bakici or in Bakici. The place where it is located, along with a necropolis of stecaks is called Klisa, which derives from the Latin word "ecclesia" (church). In some documents it's known as St. Roc's [St. Rocco] church and in the vicinity is a well which the people call "Roc's water."

Based on the type of construction and the necropolis of stecaks near it, experts date the church in Bakici in the 15th century. Professor friar Krunoslav Misilo, who was authorized by the Provincial museum, completed archeological research at the church in 1968 and in 1969 states: "the church in Bakici is a square with an east to west orientation. On the facade of the western side, one entered into the church by going down four stairs, which have been preserved like the two stone doorposts. On the opposite side of the entrance, on the eastern side is the apse (6.10m x 7.60m) where in its ruins; a massive stone base for the altar was found (1.55m x 0.50m) as well as a stone table (1.90m x 0.50m). Measuring from its insides, it was two meters longer and a meter and a half thinner than the Olovo church.


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1. An oka was a Turkish measurement of weight equivalent to about three pounds.

Source: Bernardin Matic "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodocasnicki Vodic" pp. 16-22

The Franciscan Monastery

The Franciscan monastery was tied to the church in Olovo. It isn't known if the church of the monastery were adequately tied, but certainly were closely tied together by work and by fate. The monastery is first mentioned in the work of Bartholemew of Pisa, which has the Latin title "De conformitate vitae s. Francisci" and was published around 1375.

If we wanted to describe how the old monastery looked and the life of the friars in it, aside from the previously mentioned documents from the 17th century, these facts would serve as well:

Our expert researchers who, especially in the last few decades, researched the history of Bosnia either via written sources or via archaeological research state:

- That Franciscans in Bosnia knew how to exploit the creation and development of cities in the Bosnian state. They built their monasteries in urban areas as opposed to the Bosnian Bogumils who worked in the villages;

- That Franciscan monasteries served important community services and in administrative manners;

- That they were found especially in merchant centers, where they had the opportunity to influence a diverse group of people, which trade had brought together;

- That these monasteries were not in the centers of the towns, as were churches in the Middle Ages, but rather somehow at the edges of towns;

- That they were nondescript buildings, so that Turkish documents place churches and monasteries in the same category, while they made a difference for Orthodox churches and monasteries.

One of the most interesting sources for learning about the old monasteries and the lives of the friars in them are the understanding of the structure and life of the Franciscan Order.

All of these facts are not enough so that we could with certainty illustrate what we wish, especially with the fact that the areas around the Olovo church and beneath it have not been sufficiently archaeologically researched. But we can say with partial certainty, and in part report with possibility say the following:

The Olovo monastery as a building existed for about 330 years: around 90 years during the time of the independent Bosnian kingdom, and 240 years during the Turkish administration of Bosnia.

It was located on the north side of the church, so that the main entrance in the monastery was very close to the neighboring church's doors.

As a building, the monastery was not large. If some documents stated that it was large, those statements could relate to the monastery as an institution, because many pastoral stations belonged to the Olovo monastery as affiliates. And that area went far north, even over the Sava River. That the monastery was not large during the Bosnian Kingdom can be concluded also from the fact that the Bosnian Franciscans at that time belonged to the observer, which was prescribed by the Franciscan Order, among others that the residences are in a sign of poverty. Especially during the period of Turkish administration, the monastery had to be a smaller building. It was the belief then, for understandable reasons that they be attacked less. On the contrary, in the face of all kinds of attacks by horsemen, they had to find safety and flee into the mountains, which was fortunately right alongside the monastery and probably covered with forest. There is an account among the people that the friars had a secret underground passage to the canyon of the river Krivaja. This account is not entirely without basis, but it can't be factually verified. However, alarming is the description of Franjo Varadinac as to how the friars of the Olovo monastery provided the pilgrims with food during the feast of the main patron saint of the church. He states for the eight days of the pilgrimage that ten fattened bulls and eighty sheep were barely enough, and that bread needed to be baked a month in advance. Where was this much food prepared and stored? When they concerned themselves with food, they had to be concerned with lodgings for the pilgrims during the night and when it rained. There had to be then, auxiliary buildings next to the monastery. One of these was the school, which was mentioned by the same writer. He says that 20 locals, of which 10 for free.

The monastery at that time was not far from the center of administration and commerce. In other words, all the way to the 20th century the main settlement of Olovo was in today's Gornje Olovo, especially under the Olovac fortress. With the construction of the small gauge railroad in 1899, do the offices and markets move to Donje Olovo.

When historians state that in Bosnia during the Middle Ages, agreements were made in front of the guardian of the monastery, we have the right to say that about the Olovo monastery. With even more right we can assume that the friars of the Olovo monastery concerned themselves with the spiritual good of the merchants and others that passed through Olovo or resided there. Taking into consideration the life of the friars according to the regulations of St. Francis and the fertile faith next to the Olovo shrine, we have the right to think this: the friars in Olovo knew with authority to contact people of all classes, but they knew how to contact God. Because of that, people opened to them their dislikes, and together with them, find transcendental help on the Madonna's shrine. They drew merchants, but not because of the skills of trade, but beacuse they, like St. Francis, knew how to overcome the need for money and wealth so much that they reject them and live dependent upon and benefactors and leaders who dispensed favors.

It appears that the Franciscan family of the Olovo monastery preached mostly about their community, which had strengthened and deepened with communal prayer performed next to the shrine of the Mother of God. As individuals, the friars of the Olovo monastery remained mostly anonymous. Very few of them are known, and among those noteworthy, it is very important to mention friar Matija Divkovic.

Friar Matija Divkovic was born in 1563 in the village of Jelaske, which is about 30 kilometers from Olovo in the direction of the Krivaja's flow. He had obtained primary and secondary education in the Olovo monastery, and finished theology in Italy. He was the first writer in Bosnia, who through his works was accessible to the general body of people. With that aim, he printed his works in the bosancica alpabet(1), and for that he had make great efforts, because he had to make the bosancica letters and supervise the printing in Italian print shops. His works became popular, and even the illiterate listened to and remembered very well the movements of these works. His first work is entitled ""Nauk krstjanski bogoljubnog bogoslovca fra Matia Dovkovica", which was printed in Venice in 1611. The same year saw the release of his second work "Sto cudesa aliti znamenja blazene i slavne Bogorodice Divice Marie." Five years later, he printed two more of his works, an expanded catechism and one lengthy preaching manual. Friar Divkovic died in the Olovo monastery on August 21, 1631. He was buried alongside the Olovo church, but the location of his grave is not known, possibly because the ruins have covered it up. In his honor, the builder of the new church dedicated a tower to him and placed the following inscription on it: "Father of Bosnian Literature, friar Matija Divkovic."

The Olovo monastery together with the church was kept up for 240 years of Turkish administration. Indeed, during that time, many members of the monastery were killed, tortured, an uncountable amount of money paid for permission for various permits, for the freedom of prisoners, for various fines and takes, but the monastery remained standing. However, during the second half of the 17th century brought insurmountable hardships for the monastery. Islamization had already thinned out the Catholic population. During that time, the beginnings of a larger exodus of Catholics to areas across the Sava, especially in areas which were part of the pastoral region of the Olovo monastery: Ilok, Vukovar, Sarengrad and others. Because of the thinning out of the faithful, the Olovo monastery loses sources of income, but the taxes do not decrease and falls into greater debt. Around 1670 the Olovo monastery was even temporarily abandoned. Bishop friar Nikola Ogramic, during his Canonical visitation in 1672, stated that in Olovo there is only one priest for 390 families of the faithful in Olovo and its surroundings and that the church was abandoned and grown over with thorns.

The monastery was able to temporarily escape this crisis: the debts were settled by the collection of donations in Italy and in other Catholic countries, and were inhabited again. However during the Vienna wars, 1683-1699, misfortunes increased and the exodus continued on a large scale, so that the Catholic population of Olovo and its surroundings almost completely disappeared. In 1867, the friars with the exception of the guardian abandon the Olovo monastery. In 1700 the elders of the Bosnian Provinciate decide that "the Guardian of the Olovo monastery together with his family (his fellow friars) move into the residency of St. John which was available in Ilok, until a further decision by God and the Honorable Provincial Board." We can consider the last monastic family, which was named on May 20, 1702 the following even though they did not reside in Olovo;

Friar Grgo Gabric, Guardian
Friar Ivan Vidic, Councilor and Discreet
Friar Josip Barisic, Discreet
Friar Ambroz Stojkovic
Friar Serafin Franic

There were other occasions for the imposition of fines, for which the monastery was not able to pay. In 1681 a group of bandits killed several Turks and an officer near the church in Bakici. The Turkish authorities immediately placed responsibility on the monastery and demanded fines. When, several years later, similar disturbances occurred during the feast of the Assumption, the Guardian himself suggested to the Turkish authorities that the church close, and that the festivities be cancelled. It appears as that is how it occurred, because after the victory of Eugene of Savoy an official of the Austro-Hungarian interceded from his lands on behalf of the Olovo church and pleaded that the pilgrimage be allowed and that he would pay the debts of the Olovo monastery to the Turkish rulers. However, this intercession was regarded as meddling in internal affairs, indeed a version was weaved that during the peace talks the question of the Olovo church would be brought up.

One easily understood reason is stated by M. Filipovic in his "Monograph of Olovo": Bosnian Muslims, or better stated Turks, were at that time more irritated towards the Catholics and expelled them at a greater rate. After the withdrawal of the Austrians, they must have taken great revenge against Bosnian Catholics. The Olovo monastery from early on bothered the Bosnian Muslims [Turks] because it was a main center of the Bosnian Catholics, where every year they gathered in large numbers, and that these gatherings allowed for the strengthening of Catholicism in Bosnia. The cause of the expulsion of the Olovo Franciscans should be seen in that and not the wealth of the monastery.

The epilogue of this was that in the evening between August 1st and 2nd, 1704, the church and the monastery were set on fire and entirely burned down. Nobody was in the monastery. The Guardian lived in the monastery, but possibly went to gather priests for hearing confession of the pilgrims on the Assumption.

According to the chronicler B. Benic, at first there was an unknown originator and executor of that crime. In the meanwhile, Gypsy named Kotroman, tortured by great sickness and the feeling of guilt confessed to those present that Seferpasha gave him a horse and 2 ducats to secretly set fire to the monastery and the church. That night he gathered a bundle of dry wood, made a torch and threw it through the window of a room, which was along the side of the mountain, and fled. When the inhabitants of the town woke up and felt the fire, the blaze was so encompassing that nothing could be saved.

Along the old church and the monastery was a cemetery. It was easily established when the foundation for the new church was dug, or when longer digs were completed. On the area of the land, under the stone ruins of the church and monastery the graves were unmarked except for a few visible stecaks. Several bishops are buried here, friar Matija Divkovic is buried here monks are buried here there was a common grave: it encompassed a large area.

Biships from Olovo.
Friar Marijan Marovic, Bishop of Duvno 1647-1660.
Friar Mato Brnjakovic, Biskup of Belgrade 1667-1707.
Friar Nikola Ogramic, Bishop of Bosnia 1669-1701.


Provincials from Olovo:
Friar Stjepan Vucilic - 1523.
Friar Marijan Olovnjanin - 1565.
Friar Marijan Pavlovic - 1623.
Friar Luka Jurisic - 1603.
Friar Marijan Marovic - 1638.
Friar Grgo Gabric - 1702.


Guardians in Olovo
1397 - Friar Benedikt 1668 - Friar Stipo
1600 - Friar Luka Vukovic 1669 - Friar Ivan Peric
1623 - Friar Jeronim Lucic 1672 - Friar Ivan Peric
1633 - Friar Marijan Olovnjanin 1675 - Friar Ivan Vidic-Olovcic
1644 - Friar Petar Stojkovic 1678 - Friar Franjo Zlacevic
1648 - Friar Juro Vulic 1681 - Friar Josip Barisic
1658 - Friar Juro Gabric 1681 - Friar Ivan Vidic
1660 - Friar Mijo from Gostilja 1685 - Friar Anto Olovnjanin
1661 - Friar Ivan Grlicic 1687 - Friar Anto Olovnjanin
1662 - Friar Ivan Peric 1689 - Friar Anto Stipic
1663 - Friar Ivan Igric 1696 - Friar Grgo Gabric
1664 - Friar Mijo Radnic-Usum 1702 - Friar Grgo Gabric
1666 - Friar Mijo Radnic



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1. Bosancica is the medieval alphabet of Bosnia. It is also called Croatian cyrillic.
Source: Bernardin Matic "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodocasnicki Vodic" pp. 22-30

Olovsko Svetište Na Razvalinama 1704-1936

Čudesno narod svoj
štitila ti si,
zaboravila nas
mikada nis
o Gospo olovska!
Marijansko svetište u Olovu, uz to šte se seže daleko u prošlost, odlikuje se i jednom originalnošću: više od dva stoljeća ono se održavalo kao svetište bez materijalne crkve i u diaspori.

Crni Kamen

Na ravnom prostoru pred sadašnjom Gospinom crkvom upada u oči crni kamen približno četvrtastog oblika oko pola metra u visine iznad zatravljene površine zemlje. Osobito on upada u oči u prigodi velikog hodočašća kada bude stalno okružen pobožnim moliteljima, koji se pri dolasku uz njega kratko zadržavaju i redovito upale po koju svijeću. Kada se nakupi mnogo takvih zapaljenih svijeća oko kamena, toplota od mnogih plamenova istopi vosak pojedinih svijeća pa sve to onda bukne u jedan veliki plamen, od čega je kamen sve crnji, što inače ne bi bila njegova prirodna boja. Pa i u drugim prigodama, vjernici koji poznaju tradicije olovskih hodočašća, izkazuju na neki način poštovanje tom kamenu.

Pobožne hodočasnici ne ispituju podrijetlo crnog kamena ni funkciju koju je on imao. Ako i ispituju, za njih je to sporedna stvar. Glavno je za njih to da im taj ostatak zida pobuđuje uspomene na staro svetište čija su zadnja nasilno uništena, ali se uspomena nije smjela izgubiti. Dakle, nije on premet štovanja time što je kamen, nego time što je simbol povezanosti sa korjenima ovog svetišta.

Što se tiče njegova materijalnog porijekla, Muhamed Filipović je u svojoj manjoj monografiji Olova unio zabunu, ustrdivši da je to stećak koji je usađen uspravno. Ovaj pisac nije po struci arheolog nego etnolog, a nije ni uočio gdje su zidovi crkve. Međutim, na temelju iskopavanja može se ustanoviti da je on povezan sa zidom i kamenim pragom, da mu je cjelokupna visina 190 cm, da na njemu imaju tri okrugla udubljenja za baglame. Iza toga se može zasigurno zaključiti da je taj kamen lijevi dovratnik glavnog ulaza u crkvu, sa istočne strane. Poteškoća je samo u tome što nije nađen odgovarajući desni dovratnik, ali se tumači da ga je netko odnio, pošto dvjesta godina nije bilo čuvara.

Uspoređujući ruševine olovske crkve sa ruševinama slične crkve na Bakićima - koja je arheološki istražena i zidovi stručno dopunjeni do 3m visine i konzervirani - može se pretpostavljati da se taj kamen-dovratnik isticao dok su se ostali zidovi pomalo obrušavali i zatrpavali. Pa, kako hodočasnici nisu imali ni slike ni kipa pred kojim bi klekli i upalili svijeću, oni su to počeli činiti uz ovaj kamen. I ta praksa je, eto, zadržana sve do danas.


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Izvor: Bernardin Matić "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodočasnički Vodič" str. 30-32

The Olovo Shrine in Ruins 1704-1936

Miraculously, you have protected your people, you have not forgotten us O Lady of Olovo!

The Marian shrine in Olovo along with reaching far into the past, is distinguished with one originality; for more than two centuries it was kept as a shrine without a physical church and in the Diaspora.

The Black Stone

In the flat area in front of the present-day church of the Lady, one notices a black stone roughly square shaped, rising about half a meter above the grassy area. It is especially noticeable during the major pilgrimage, when it it is constantly surrounded with devout worshippers, who prior to going to it, hold up for a bit and often light up a candle. When many candles are lit around the stone, the warmth of the flames melt the wax of the individual candles, then erupt into a great flame, which blackens the stone even more, which isn't its natural color. In other situations, the faithful who know the traditions of the Olovo pilgrims state in some way homage to the stone.

The devout worshippers do not ask the origins of the black stone nor the function that it once had. If they ask, for them it is a secondary issue. The main thing for them is that this remaining piece of the wall arouses recollections on the old shrine, which in the end was destroyed by force, but that its memory should not be forgotten. Therefore, the stone is not an object of homage, but rather that it is a symbol tied with the roots of this shrine.

With regards to its material origins, Muhamed Filipovic in his small monograph of Olovo, brought alarm when he stated that it is a stecak (1) that was placed vertically. This writes is not an archaeologistt by trade but an ethnographer, and did not physically see where the of the church were. Also on the basis of digging, it can be said that it [the stone] is tied to the wall and the stone threshold, that its entire height is 190 cm, and that it has three round holes for hinges on it. From that it can be certainly concluded that this stone was the left door post of the main entrance to the church, from the east side. The difficulty with this is that the accompanying right door post has not been found, but is believed that somebody took it, because for 200 years there was no guardian.

Comparing the ruins of the Olovo church with the ruins of the church in Bakicic, which was archaeologically researched, and whose walls were expertly restored to three meters high and conserved, can be said that that stone door post stood out while the remainder of the walls began to grind away and become covered. Because the pilgrims did not have a picture or statue to kneel and light a candle in front of, they began to do that with this stone. That practice remains even today.


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1. A stecak is a medieval standing tombstone found mostly in Bosnia & Herzegovina, but also in Croatia and in Serbia.

Source: Bernardin Matic "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodocasnicki Vodic" pp. 30-32

Olovo bez fratara i katolika

Još i prije razrušenja crkva i samostana, olovski su fratari bili prisiljeni napustiti Olovo. Krenuli su, skupa s mnoštvom naroda, u Srijem i Bačku, kamo su i prije zalazili i pastorizirali npr župe: Mitrovicu, Morović, Sotin, Ilaču, a osobito Ilok. U Ilok je i prije turskog osvajanja postojao franjevački (opservantski) samostan ugarske provincije, u kojemu se, 23 listopada 1456, preselio u vječnost glasoviti branitelj Beograda fra Ivan Kapistran (proglašen svetim 1690). Samostan je bio, kao i sada, uz iločku tvrđavu koja se uzdiže nad Dunavom. Za vrijeme stoljetne okupacije Srijema, ondje su boravili Turci, a fratri i katolici su protjerani ne samo iz tvrđave nego iz Iloka. Kroz to vrijeme samostan i crkva nisu bili nasilno rušeni, nego ih je izjedao zub vremena. I olovski fratri su zatekli u Iloku Turske i tursku vlast, pa nisu mogli ni unići u Ilok, nego su prvo vrijeme boravili u nekoj šumi kod mjesta Ljuba koje i sada pripada olovskoj Zupi. Kada su Turci istjerani iz Srijema (1688), fratri su u Iloku osnovali rezidenciju te obnovili zgrade crkve i samostana. Nakon 1704. godine prenesen je tamo naslov olovskog samostana pa se isprva nazivao: "Olovski samostan sv. Marije u Iloku." Međutim, već nakon desetak godina pojavljuje se naslov: "Samostan sv. Ivan Kapistrana u Iloku." A kada je, nakon pedesetak godina (1757) bila osnovana provincija sv. Ivana Kapstrana, prestala je pravna povezanost olovskog i iločkog samostana. Ali ne povijesna i vjernička.
Potisnućom olovskog samostana pripadalo je njegovo područje sutješkom samostanu, a od godine 1833. briga za Olovsko svetište prešla je na kapelaniju i kasnije (1842) župu Vijaka. I sada pripada teritoriju te župe, a u crkvenopravnom smislu to je samostalna kapelanija.

Sa iseljavanjem katolika nestaje i rudara i rudnika olova. Na Bakićim crkva je posve napuštena i opustošena. Fra Lujo Zloušić je, nakon izvršenih arheoloških ispitivanja te crkve (1969), dodao svoj komentar koji je vrijedno zapamptiti: "Ustanovilo se da crkvu na Bakićima nije uništio samo zub vremena, mnogo prije, zub lakomih susjeda iz bliza i daleka... Na tom prostoru od cca 16x9 metara nije se našao nijedan kovni predmet osim pet bosanskih čavala žiočnjaka. Gdje su prozori? Gdje su dvoja vrata? Gdje si mandali i slično? Sve je to odnijela nečija ruka. Nigdje nismo našli komad drveta iz krovne konstrukcije, vjenčanice ili nešto sličnoga. Čak je i pod, koji je očividno bio od ploča, odnesen - dvije, tri su ostale. A od krova, koji je bio pokriven kamenim pločicama, ostalo je doduše dosta pločica, ali samo krnjavih i oštećenih. Istom iza te svestrane devestacije, zub vremena imao je da zaruši nekoliko metara zida, da naspe malter u nutarnjost crkve, a zatim da dvija šikara i jedna velika bukva zavladaju prostorom."

Glavni dobročinitelji olovske crkve i samostana, trgovci Brnjakovići-Grubišići, također su odselili prije zapaljenja crkve, jer su uvidjeli da im nema više opstanka u Bosni. Nastanili su u Iloku, gdje su u jednoj kapelici samostanske crkve sebe uredili grobnicu. U toj kapelici posvećenoj Mariji Božjoj, sačuvana je i velika slika s natpisom: "S. Maria Plumbensis". Vjerojatno su oni naručili majstora da je izradi prema njihovu opisu originalne slike iz olovske crkve.

Najpoznatijem članu porodice Brnjaković, Andriji Brnjakoviću, podijelio je austrougarski car Leopold I. titulu i čast Baruna, pa se oni općenito nazivaju "baruni Brnjakovići". Ta je porodica izumrla.

Najgore su prošli katolici, koji su, poslije velike seobe s vojskom Eugena Savojskog i poslije rušenja olovske crkve bili ostali u Olovu i okolici. Na njih je vršen takav pritisak da su morali, ili odseliti u druga mjesta ili se islamizirati. Tako je kroz izvjesno vrijeme Olovo bilo čisto muslimansko, Sto je i sada slučaj za Gornje Olovo u kojem se nalazi crkva. Etnolog M. Filipović piše: "Stanovništvo varošice Olovo pred okupaciju (austrougarsku) bilo je čisto muslimansko. Odmah poslije okupacije... u Gornjem Olovu obrazovana je žandarska stanica, i jedan od penzionisanih žandara, Rudeljić, prvi se od katolika nastanio u Olovu."


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Izvor: Bernardin Matić "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodočasnički Vodič" str. 32-34

Olovo Without Friars and Catholics

Even before the church and the monastery were destroyed, the friars in Olovo were forced to leave Olovo. They went with many people to Srijem and Backa, where they visited before and where they were the pastors of parishes such as: Mitrovica, Morovic, Sotin, Ilaca, and especially Ilok. Prior to Turkish conquest of Ilok, was a Franciscan (observant) monastery of the Hungarian Province, in which on October 23, 1456 the renowned defender of Belgrade, friar Ivan Kapistran passed into eternity. The monastery was, as it is now next to the fortress of Ilok, which is raised above the Danube. During the century long occupation of Srijem, the Turks resided there, while the friars and the Catholics were expelled from not only the fortress but from Ilok. The church and monastery were not forcefully destroyed during that time, but were consumed by the sands of time. Even the Olovo friars came upon the Turks and Turkish rule, and were not able to enter Ilok, but rather spent time in a forest near Ljuba, which even today belongs to the Olovo parish. When the Turks were kicked out of Srijem in 1688, the friars founded a residence in Ilok and restored the church and monastery buildings. After 1704, the title of the Olovo monastery was brought there, and was first called "The Olovo Monastery of St. Mary in Ilok." After ten years the following title appears "The Monastery of St. Ivan Kapistran in Ilok." Fifty years later in 1757, the province of St. Ivan Kapistran was formed, which ended the formal ties of the Olovo and Ilok monasteries. But not historically or religiously!

With the pushing back of the Olovo monastery, its area was given to the Sutjeska monastery, and in 1833, jurisdiction for the Olovo shrine passed to the curate, and later to the parish of Vijaka. It is part of that parish even today, but in ecclesiastic terms, it is an independent curate.

With the emigration of the Catholics, the mines and the miners of Olovo disappear. In Bakici, the church was entirely abandoned and desetred. Friar Lujo Zlousic, after completing archaeological research on this church in 1969, made this comment which is important to remember:

"It is ascertained that the church in Bakici was not only destroyed by the sands of time, but also by its greedy neighbors from near and afar... In this area of about 16x9 meters not one metal object was found except 5 Bosnian lath nails. Where are the windows? Where are both doors? Where are the door latches and the like? All of this was taken by somebody's hand. We didn't find any wood from the roof construction anywhere, or for the wedding altar and the like. Even the floor, which is tiled, was taken and two or three tiles remain. And of the roof, which was covered with stone tiles, remained many tiles, but only those that were defective and damaged. Also, after devastation from all sides, the sands of time only needed to destroy several meters of wall, and to pour in mortar in the church's insides and finally to have wild underbrush and one large beech tree to dominate the area."

The main of benefactors the Olovo church and monastery, the merchants Brnjakovici-Grubisici, also left before the burning of the church, because they saw that they could not survive in Bosnia. They moved to Ilok, where they built a mausoleum in one chapel of the monastic church. In that chapel dedicated to the Mother of God, a large picture has been preserved with the inscription "S. Maria Plumbensis." They possibly ordered a master to make it according to their description of the original picture in the Olovo church.

The most famous member of the Brnjakovic family, Andrija Brnjakovic was given the title and honor of Baron by Austro-Hungarian Emperor Leopold I., and they are frequently called the "Brnjakovic Barons." The family has died out.

The Catholics that suffered the most were the ones that after the mass migration with the army of Eugene of Savoy and after the destruction of the Olovo church remained in Olovo and it surroundings. Such pressure was applied to them that they either had to move out to other places or adopt Islam. That is how, through that time, Olovo undoubtedly became entirely Muslim, which is the case now with Gornji Olovo where the church is located. M. Filipovic, the ethnographer writes "The population of the town of Olovo prior to [Austro-Hungarian] occupation was entirely Muslim. Immediately after occupation... in Gornji Olovo the gendarmerie station was trained, and one of the retired gendarmes, Rudeljic, was the first Catholic to live in Olovo."


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Source: Bernardin Matic "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodocasnicki Vodic" pp. 32-34

Pokušaji Gradnje Crkve

Poslije razruvenja crkve i samostana 1704. godine te nestanka katoličkog življa iz Olova i bliže okolice, nije se moglo ni pomišljati na novu gradnju. Neki izgledi su se ukazali kada je Austrougarska monarhija preuzela vlast u Bosni. "Iskoristivši neobično brojan posjet hodočasnika godine 1886." (5000 vjernika), razvio je tadašnji vijački župnik fra Pavao Semunović živu akciju da se već slijedeće godine napravila drvena crkva, drveni toranj i baraka, gdje bi se u slučaju nevremena vjernici mogli zakloniti. Njegova je zasluga da su se te iste godine otkrili i temelji stare crkve i samostana. Fra Pavao je imao namjeru graditi na temeljima stare crkve i u njezinim dimenzijama, ali, s jedne strane do tada sabrana sredstva bila su nedovoljna za gradnju dolične zidane crkve; a s druge strane tadašnja državna vlast zabranila je graditi na još arheološki neprekopanim i neistraženim temeljima. Pa, premda je fra Pavao bio član Muzeja u Sarajevu i premda se obvezao da će sve starine što se kod kopanja nađu predati u Sarajevo, doživio je da mu je stigla zabrana daljnjeg prekopavanja dok ne stigne stručni izaslanik vlasti, a on da gradi crkvu izvan starih temelja.
Spomenute konstrukcije iz 1886. godine (drvena crkva, toranj i baraka), kako su bile od slabije drvene građe i bez stalnog nadzora, nisu izdržale ni trideset godina: crkva se srušila 1913. godine, a tokom slijedećih ratnih godina i sve drugo je propalo. I opet se pružala tužna slika, i opet su se umnažale nevolje hodočasnika kada bi se na Veliku i Malu Gospu zadesile nepovoljne vremenske prilike.

Godine 1923. vjerojatno je velikogospojinsko hodočašće dalo do povod da se pokrene akcija. Te godine konstituirao se širi odbor od deset uglednih katolika iz raznih mjesta i održao konstituirajuću sjednicu dne 8. rujna te godine. Za predsjedniku su izabrali sarajevskog liječnika dra Luku Čabraju. U odboru su bili i trojica svećenika, vijački župnik fra Jozo Filipović, vareški župnik fra Anđeo Anđelović (koji je slijedeće godine postao gvardijanom u Kr. Sutjesci) i fra Arkanđeo Grgić, profesor teologije u Sarajevu a slijedeće godine postao je župnikom u Tuzli. Odbor je razradio i solidan program: upoznati javnost s poviješću Svetišta i s namjerima o gradnji, naručiti nacrt koji će po stilu izražavati povijesnu pozadinu, pobrinuti se za dozvole od građanskih vlasti i crkvenih foruma itd. Neki odbornici su bili brzopleto revni pa su isposlovali da se već slijedeće godine (1924) na Veliku Gospu blagoslovati temeljni kamen, premda nisu bili pribavljeni ni nacrti ni dozvole za gradnju, a pogotovo ne sredstva. Ovi koji su požurivali željeli su crkvicu od tridesetak kvadratnih metara, samo da bude od čvrstog materijala. Ali oni koji su bili dosljedniji programu da stil crkve odgovara njezinoj povijesti i važnosti, predali su izradu poznatom arhitektu u Sarajevu Karlu Paržiku. Međutim, ovaj je nacrt daleko premašio previđena sredstva, i početak gradnje sve se dalje pomicao. K tome, i odbornici su bili sa službama na udaljenim mjestima: Sarajevu, Varešu, Tuzli, Kr. Sutjesci, Olovu, Vijaci. A i po mišljenima, obzirom na plan, bili su razjedinjeni.

Akcija je uspješno krenula tek 1929. godine kada se uključio fra Lujo (Ljudevit) Zloušić. Bio je on tada mlad (33 godine), sposoban, agilan i, što je najvažnije, karizmatik Gospina svetišta.

Fra Ljudevit, ili skraćeno i popularno fra Lujo, rođen je u Varešu 8.12.1895. godine u obitelji koja nosi prezime Zloušić, a poznati su kao Iljkanović ili Idžaković. Krsno mu je ime Ivan. Odmah nakon osnovne škole umjerio se za svećenika u Franjevačkom redu. Za svećenika je zaređen 1918. godine. Nakon završenog visokog teološkog obrazovanja, studirao je matematiku i fiziku u Beču i Zagrebu, te stekao kvalifikaciju profesora. Osim što je bio nadaren i dobro verziran u svojoj struci, on je još više postao poznat po tome što je izvanredno pedagoški i badava podučavao one kojima je bilo potrebno polagati matematiku, ili za popravni ispit, ili privatno, ili u večernjim školama. A to je on činio za sve koji su mu se obećali, ne praveći razlike staleža ili vjeroispovijesti.

Glavna je fra Lujina služba bila: profesor i odgojitelj na Franjevačkoj gimnaziji u Visokom. Uz takvu službu nije mu bilo nimalo lako voditi brigu za gradnju crkve i za vjernike u Olovu. Za putovanje u Olovo postajale su tri mogućnosti: ili preko Semizovaca i Ivančića vlakom (uz redovnja čekanja) tri sata pa onda pješke četiri sata. Ili vlakom preko Zavidovića, oko deset sati vožnje. Ili preko Vareša, sat i pol vožnje pa onda sedam sati pješačenja. U samom Olovu, trebalo je isprva konačiti u tuđim kućama a hranu nositi sa sobom. Dakle, trebalo je osim fizičke izdržljivosti i doista velike vjere i oduševljenja.

U posao glavnog voditelja gradnje fra Lujo se uključio 1929. godine i sve do svoje smrti, punih 40 godina, on je sebe, zdušio i nesebično, ugrađivao u olovsko svetište. Odmah slijedeće godine, 22.6.1930. formiran je novi odbor od samih Olovljana s fra Lujom, a prijašenjem odbor data je razrješnica. Usvojen je Paržikov nacrt, s tim da se radi u etapama. Ubrzo se s dozvolama, sklopljen je ugovor s poduzetnikom Jozefom Kolombatijem i već rujnu iste godine započeto je kopanjem i izlijevanjem temelja.

Slijedeće godine, na Veliku Gospu hodočasnici su mogli s velikom radošću vidjeti zidove nove crkve do šest metara u visinu. Međutim, nastupile su druge objektivne poteškoće. Koncem 1930. godine iznenada je prestala s radom najjača drvna industrija "Krivaja" u kojoj se zapošljavao velik dio stanovništva iz okolice Olova, i na koju se mnogo računalo u ovom pohvatu. Ujedno su, zbog svjetske krize, i banke uskraćavale kredite, dapače ni uloženi novac nisu uredno isplaćivale. Tako je gradnja crkve obustavljena 1932. godine, a zidovi samo pokriveni vrećama i daskama, dok se ne osiguraju sredstva od milodara sakupljenih po svim krajevima naše zemlje.

U međuvremenu (1933-1934) podignut je od sjeveroistočne strane potporni suhi zid, u koji je upotrebljen suvišni kamen. Tako je crkvište prilično očišćeno. Taj zid čuva izravnati prostor s ove strane crkve i ujedno razgraničava crkveno zemljište od drugih vlasnika. dug je 76 metara a prosječna mu je visina preko 4 metara.

Zidarski radovi na crkvi nastavljeni su godine 1936. Gradnju je tada preuzeo ing. Vinko Doutlik iz Sarajeva. Te godine je crkva pokrivena. Završetak radova obilježen je podizanjem križa na kupolu i sahranjivanjem tjelesnih ostataka iz grobova koji su, prigodom radova oko crkve, nađeni u zemlji. O tome je napisao fra Lujo Zloušić članak pod naslovom "Radosni dan nove Gospine crkve u Olovu." Između ostalog, tu stoji i ovo: "Pregazivši pješke blatne i sniježne puteve od Ivančića do Olova, četiri i pol sata napornog hoda radi klizavog puta i mraka, stigli smo u 10 i po u noći. Pozdravivši Gospu pokucali smo na vrata crkve i našli limare gdje svršavaju zadnje poslove oko križa koji se sutra imamo podići. Impozantni, metar i šezdeset centimetara visoki bakreni križ stajao je spreman da sutra zauzme svoj gospodarski položaj nad krasnom i tvrdom crkvom, koju su gradili vjera i ljubav. Izgledao je kao zastava koju je neprijatelju bilo uspjelo za čas oboriti i pregaziti, ali se brzo, požrtvovnošću onih koji su je ljubili i pod njom vojevali, opet digla i ponovo zalepršala.

Sutradan je prije pučke mise križ blagoslovljen, i svi su prisutni, prema Rimskom obredniku, po primjeru svećenika pristupili, poklonili se svetom znaku našega otkupljenja, i poljubili ga. Kad je zatim podignut i učrvšćen na kupolu visoku 19,70 metara, činilo se kao da je ovo pusto stoljetno zgarište obasjala blaga zraka što je nekad sinula nad poljanama betlehemskim; kao da je prošao lagani drhtaj kroz ovo stoljetno, gotovo zaboravljeno groblje, kao da su kosti pokojnika naših, koji tu leže nepoznati, a koji su za života u Krista vjerovali i s njegovim imenom na ustima umirali - osjetile da opet počivaju u sjeni njegova svetoga križa." Bilo je to 1. studenog 1936. godine.


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Izvor: Bernardin Matić "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodočasnički Vodič" str. 34-39

Attempts to Build the Church
After the destruction of the church and the monastery in 1704, as well as the disappearance of Catholics in Olovo and its close surroundings, it wasn't possible to even think of building anew. Some views were shown when the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy took control of Bosnia. "To use the unusual numbers of pilgrims in 1886 (5000 faithful)," friar Pavao Semunovic began developing an action for the following year to build a wooden church, bell tower, and barracks where in times of bad weather the faithful could find shelter. To his credit, the foundations of the old church and monastery were uncovered. Friar Pavao intended to build on the foundations of the old church in its dimensions, and from one side to another, the chosen materials were not sufficient to build a similar walled church; and from the other side, the then government banned the building on archaeologically uncovered and unstudied foundations. Even though friar Pavao was a member of the museum in Sarajevo, and even though he pledged that all objects found during the dig would be given to Sarajevo, he was banned from digging further until and expert representative from the government could arrive, but that he could build the church outside the old foundations.

The above mentioned construction in 1886 of a wooden church, bell tower, and barracks, were made from shoddy wooden construction and without constant supervision, didn't last even thirty years, the church was torn down in 1913 and during the course of the following war years everything else collapsed. A sad picture presented itself once again when many pilgrims were unhappy when bad weather presented itself on the Assumption and the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

In 1923, it is possible that the pilgrims for the Assumption gave an opportunity to start an action. That year a wide board pf ten notable Catholics from various places was constituted and the constitutional meeting was held on September 8, that same year. Dr. Luka Cabraja, a Physician from Sarajevo was elected as its president. Three priests were on the board: pastor of Vijaka friar Jozo Filipovic, pastor of Vares friar Andeo Andelovic (who became the Guardian [of the monastery] in Kraljeva Sutjeska, and friar Arkandeo Grgic a professor of Theology in Sarajevo who became the pastor of the Tuzla parish the following year. The board worked on a solid program to inform the public with the history of the shrine, with the intent of building to order a blueprint which would in its style reflect its historical past, and concern itself with permission from civil authorities and church forums, etc. Several board members were rashly eager and were working to bless the cornerstone the following year, 1929, on the Assumption, even though the blueprints, permits and especially material weren't obtained yet. All those that were hurried, wanted a church of about thirty square meters, and that it be of sturdy materiel. But those that were committed to the program that the style of the church was in line with its history and importance, submitted a design by a well known Sarajevo architect, Karlo Parzik. However, this blueprint had far surpassed the envisioned resources, and the beginnings of construction moved farther back. Also, board members were in service in distant areas like Sarajevo, Vares, Tuzla, Kraljeva Sutjeska, Olovo and Vijaka. Even in ideas, with regards to the plan were fragmented.

Action began to successfully be carried out in 1929 when friar Lujo (Ljudevit) Zlousic joined it. Then he was young, 33 years old, hard working, agile and more importantly, charismatic for the Lady's shrine.

Friar Ljudevit, or the shortened and popular, friar Lujo was born in Vares on December 8, 1895, in the Zlousic family, who were also known as Iljkanovic and Idzakovic. His birth name was Ivan. Immediately after elementary school, he directed himself to be a priest of the Franciscan order. He was ordained a priest in 1918. After finishing higher Theological education, he studied mathematics and physics in Vienna and in Zagreb, and became qualified as a professor. Aside from the fact that he was gifted and well versed in his major, he became more well known because he unusually educated and tutored for free those who needed to pass mathematics or for make-up exams, in private, or in night school. He did this for all those who came to him, not making distinctions of class or religion.

Friar Lujo's main duties were as a professor and educator in the Franciscan gymnasium in Visoko. Along with his duties, it was not easy at all to be concerned with the building of the church for the faithful in Olovo. There were three possibilities for him to go to Olovo: by train through Semizovac and Ivancic (along with waiting) three hours then four hours by foot. Ten hours by train via Zavidovici. Or via Vares, and hour and a half drive then seven hours by foot. In Olovo itself he had to be put up in strangers' houses and carry food with him. Thus, he needed not only physical stamina, but great faith and enthusiasm.

Friar Lujo joined in 1929 as the main leader of the construction, and up until his death a full forty years later he wholeheartedly and unselfishly built the Olovo shrine. Immediately, in the following year on June 22, 1930 a new board was formed made up of people from Olovo with friar Lujo, and the previous board was given its release. Parzik's blueprint was adopted, with the provision that it is worked on in stages. Permits came quickly, and an agreement was reached with the entrepreneur Jozef Kolombati, and in September of that year the foundation began to be dug and cast.

The following year, on the Assumption, pilgrims were able to see with great joy the new walls of the church which were up to six meters tall. However, other objective difficulties appeared. At the end of 1930, the largest wood factory "Krivaja" unexpectedly stopped working, in which a large number of people from around Olovo were employed at, and in which had high expectations for this undertaking. Together, because of the world crisis and that the banks shortened credits, not even invested money was orderly paid out. That is why the construction of the church was stopped in 1932, and the walls were covered with sacks and covered with boards, until resources could be collected by donors from all areas of our country.

In the meanwhile from 1933-1934, a dry retaining was built on the southeast side with excess stones. This is how the church area was pretty well cleaned. This wall watches the area level with that side of the church and also separates the church lands from the properties of other owners. It is seventy-six meters long and over four meters high.

Masonry work began again on the church in 1936. Engineer Vinko Doutlik from Sarajevo took over the construction. That year the church was roofed. The end of the work was commemorated with the placing of a cross on the cupola and the re-internment of physical remains found in graves while work around the church was being done. Friar Lujo wrote about this an article entitled "Radosni dan nove Gospine Crkve u Olovu (1)." Among others, it states:

"Traveling by foot through the muddy and snowy roads from Ivancic to Olovo, we arrived at 10:30 at night after four and a half hours of difficult walking due to the darkness and slippery roads. Praising the Madonna we knocked on the doors of the church and found the tinsmiths who were putting the final touches on the cross, which we had to erect tomorrow. An imposing meter and sixty centimeters tall, this copper cross-stood ready to take its position tomorrow above the beautiful and solid church, which was built by love and faith. It looked like a flag that the enemy had almost successfully struck down and run over, but immediately the self-sacrifice of those who loved it and fought beneath it was raised and began fluttering once again.

The cross was blessed the next day before Mass, and all those present, according Roman rites, by the priest's example approached, bowed at holy sign of our gathering, and kissed it. When it was finally raised and secured on the cupola 19.7 meters high, it seemed as though this deserted fire was re-ignited with a wealth of air, which once gathered above the plains of Bethlehem, as though a soft trembling passed through this centuries old, forgotten cemetery, as though the bones of our unknown departed who lay here, and who gave their lives to Christ believed and died with his name on their lips, felt that they rest again under the shadow of his holy cross." November 1, 1936.


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1. "The Joyous Day of the Madonna's New Church in Olovo."

Source: Bernardin Matic "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodocasnicki Vodic" pp. 34-39

Obnavljanje Svetišta (od 1936. do danas)

Bosno moja, divna mila,
slavna ponosna!
U teb' mi je draga crkva
Gospa olovska.
Na južnoj uzdignutoj strani Olova, na kraju obzorja koji zatvaraju brežuljci Klek i Gradina, stoji od 1936. godine nova crkva Gospe olovske. Premda i sama prilično visoka (kupola oko 20 m), ona ispod tih stjenovitih brežuljaka, koji s dviju strana obuhvaćaju, izgleda kao dijete na majčinu krilu. Projekant je i išao za tim da se, u izboru materijala i načinu obrade, prilagodi stjenovitom okruženju lokaliteta: u tome mu je odao priznanje i poznati arhitekt Jože Plečnik.

Zemljišna površina koja spada u vlasništvo crkve, od strane naselja je pravilno izravnata, poduprta visokim zidom i zatravljena, dok je ono malo prostora između crkve i brežuljaka strmenito i zašikareno. Na crkveno dvorište može stati do pet tisuća ljudi ukoliko se ne dozvoli pristup vozilima.

Crkva još nema sva zdanja koja su u nacrtu previđena. U godinama 1930-1936. igrađen je glavni središnji dio: jednobrodna crkva, iznuta duga 22 a široka 6,30 metara. Njezina izdužena osnovica ima diskretno naznačen oblik križa kvadratičnim proširenjem u centralnom dijelu, tako da su unutarnje dimenzije 8 x 8 m. Nad tim križem je kvadratna kupola koja se diže do visine 19,70 m. Ulazna partija je naglašena trijemom sa četiri stupa. Nad ulaznim prostorom je kor a nad korom polukružni svod. Kvadratni prezbiterij bio je uzdignut za jednu stepenicu a sada za tri. Iza njega je polukružna sakristija u koju se ulazi iz crkve na dva otvora koji su snabdjeveni klizećim zastorima. Svod na prezbiterijem je polukružni kao nad korom. Nutarnjost crkve je ožbukana, bijelo okrečena, svijetla i plijeni jednostavnošću. Vanjske zidne površine grubo pritesanog kamena, raščlanjene jednostavnim glatkim vijencima, dok je pročelje nakadno obloženo bijelim mramorom.

Uz osnovni korpus crkve predviđene su u nacrtu četiri kvadratne kule na uglovima, povezane trijemovima duž bočnih zidova crkve. Od njih, dvije prednje su izrađene tek 1968-1971. godine. Još je predviđen toranj visok oko 30 metara, koji bi sa jugozapadnom kulom bio povezan jednim aneksom širine jednog metra. K tome je predviđeno da prostor ispred crkve bude bočno obuhvaćen arkadnim trijemom sa niskim kulom na završetku.

Projektant crkve i opisanog kompleka zdanja je Karlo Paržik. Rođen je u Velisu u Češkoj 5.7.1857. Završio je studij arhitekture na akademiji likovnih umjetnosti u Beču, u specijalnoj školi za arhitekturu kod profesora Theophila von Hansena.

Svoju profesionalnu karijeru u Sarajevu započeo je kao ortak arhitekta Josipa Vancaša 1884. Zatim je stupio u državnu službu Odsjeka za visokugradnju Zemaljske vlade u Sarajevu, a od 1905. bio je rukovodilac Odsjeka. Stupio je u mirovinu 1916. godine ali je ostao u Sarajevu. Od godine 1921. do 1937, bio je honorarni savjetni za graditeljstvo Vrhbosanske nadbiskupije te je u tom svojstvu dao niz nacrta za dogradnju i adaptaciju sakralnih objekata, od kojih je vrijedno spomenuti: samostan na Plehanu, samostan u Jajcu, crkva sv. Josipa u Sarajevu, te ovo naše svetište u Olovu. Umro je 16.6.1942. u Sarajevu.

Nacrt za olovsko svetište izradio je vjerojatno na poticaj fra Arkanđela Grgića. Ovaj, naime, piše u jednom pismom fra Luji: "Drago mi je da sam ih (tj. planove olovske crkve) ja s Paržikom sastavljao. Cijele sam sate s njim o tome konferirao u Sarajevu. Triput smo po zimi išli i na lice mjesta u Olovu da vidimo teren. Paržik veli da je to njegov najljepši plan što je do sada učinio i da bi mu vrlo drago bilo da se izvede."


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Izvor: Bernardin Matić "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodočasnički Vodič" str. 39-41

Renovation of the Shrine from 1936 to Today
My wonderful, beloved Bosnia, glorious and proud! My dear church of Our Lady of Olovo is within you.

On the southern, raised part of Olovo, at the end of a horizon, which is enclosed by the hills of Gradina and Klek, the new church of Our Lady of Olovo stands from 1936. Even though the church is very tall, the cupola is around 20 meters high; it looks like a child on its mother's lap underneath these two rocky hills, which surround it on two sides. The designer planned to accommodate the rocky surroundings of the locale, in terms of materials selected and method of construction, for which the well known architect Joze Plecnik can be thanked.

The property which falls under the ownership of the church on the side facing the town is flat and is supported by a high wall, while the little bit of space between the church and the hills are rocky and overgrown. Five thousand people can fit in the church grounds if parking of cars is not allowed.

The church still does not have all the buildings that were planned in the blueprint. During 1930-1936 the main central part was built: a single story church 22 meters long and 6.30 meters wide from the insides. Its elongated foundation has a discreetly shaped form of a cross, which is wider in the central part; so that it's internal dimensions are 8x8 meters. Above this cross is a square cupola that is raised to a height of 19.70 meters. The entrance is accented by cloister with four columns. Above the entranceway is the choir, and above the choir is a semicircular vaulted ceiling. The presbytery was raised one step, now it is raised three steps. In back of that is a semicircular sacristy, which is entered from the church through two openings that are covered by a sliding curtain. The vaulted ceiling above the presbytery is semicircular like above the choir. The interior of the church is painted, and is whitewashed, is lighted and emits simplicity. The exterior walls are of dressed stone, joined together with simple smooth bead molding, while the facade is additionally enveloped in white marble.

The blueprint envisioned four, square towers alongside the basic body of the church, tied together with cloisters along the lateral walls of the church. Of these, the two front ones were built in 1968-1971. A belfry 30 meters tall was envisioned, which would with the southwestern tower be connected by an annex one meter wide. Also envisioned, would be that the area in front of the church would be laterally encompassed by boxed arches with small towers at the ends.

The designer of the church and the above mentioned complex of buildings was Karlo Parzik. He was born in Velis in the Czech Republic on July 5 1857. He finished architecture at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, in a special school for architecture under Professor Theophil von Hansen.

He began his professional career in Sarajevo as an associate of architect Josip Vancas in 1884. Afterwards he entered the state's service department for building construction of the provincial government in Sarajevo, and in 1905 he became the head of the department. He went into retirement in 1916, but remained in Sarajevo. From 1921 to 1937 he was the honorary advisor for construction of the Vrhbosna Archdiocese, and in that duty gave blueprints for construction and adaptation of sacral objects, of worthy mention are the monasteries in Plehan and Jajce, St. Joseph's Church in Sarajevo, and out shrine in Olovo. He died on June 16, 1942 in Sarajevo.

The blueprint for the shrine in Olovo was designed probably under the encouragement of friar Arkandel Grgic. He wrote in a letter to friar Lujo:

"I am happy that they [the plans for the church in Olovo] were put together with Parzik. I spent hours conversing with him about it in Sarajevo. Three times we went to the place in Olovo in winter to see the land. Parzik said that it was his most beautiful plan that he designed to date and it would make him happy to see the plan carried out."


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Source: Bernardin Matic "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodocasnicki Vodic" pp. 39-41

Pregled građevinske aktivnosti

Iza kako je crkva pod krov dovedena i praktično predata na uprotrebu pa do početka rata na teritoriju Jugoslavije, u crkvi su postavljeni prozori s običnim staklima, vrata, kameni oltar, postaje križnog puta, crkva je iznutra većim dijelom ožbukana i okrečena. Nedaleko od crkve sagradene su dvije stambene zgrade od drveta: jedna za čuvara Svetišta a druga za prigodno prenoćivanje hodočasnika.
Za vrijeme rata crkvene zgrade su relativno sačuvane. Nikada nisu bombardirane ni upotrebljavane za zapade ili zaklone, premda su bunkeri i vojni rovovi bili na stijenama odmah iznad crkve. Prigodom prvog ulaska NOV-e u Olovo, jedna skupina ovih vojnika zatražila ključ od čuvara Svetišta (Stjepana Krajca) i predlagala crkvu kako bi bili sigurni da nema pohranjene municije ili skrivenih vojnika. U crkvi su se ponašali dolično, poštujući svetinje. Kasnije je bilo i iznenadnih nasilnih upadanja od strane raznih vrsta vojska pa su se događale i manje pljačke. Ipak ne može se tvrditi da je ikada crkva bila baš opustošena ili demolirana. Stambene zgrade kod crkve često su korištene za "muhadžere". Građivinskih radova za to ratno vrijeme nije bilo nikakvih.

Druga polovica ovog stoljeća, za crkveni život u Bosni, karakteristična je po velikom zamahu gradnji sakralnih objekata. Ali za Olovsko svetište to se ne može reći. Jedan od razloga treba tražiti i u nepredviđenim potrebama saniranja već izvedenih gradnji, u što je trebalo utrošiti znatan dio sredstva, posla i vremena. Nedugo nakon sazidanja - tada je već bio umro projektant Karl Paržik - zapažene su pukotine na zidovima. Pretpostavljao se najprije da je uzrok u raskvašavanju terena uz zidove pa su izvođene drenaže, kanali, trotoari popravljene fuge, proširivan prostor između crkve i stijene. Ali pukotine su i dalje "radile" pa i nove se pojavljivale. Konačno se moralo stručno pripremiti i, po nacrtu pravih stručnjaka, izvesti radove na saniranju temelja i zidova.

Mora se priznati da je nacrt projektanta rađen s puno ljubavi, ali se pokazalo da taj nacrt ije dovoljno razrađen i nije mu bilo prethodno dato sve što treba za solidnu izvedbu. Kada je stručna komisija, koji su sačinjavali inžinjer-statičar Hilmo Mujezinović iz Sarajeva i građevinski tehničar Jozo Tokmačić iz Vareša, godine 1963. i 1964. ispitavala uzroke opasnih pukotina, ustanovila je da uopće ne postoji statički račun, nego da je arhitekt na osnovu iskustva određivao dimenzije zidova i konstrukcije. Stoga su pri saniranju ugrađene željezne zatege iznad prezbiterija i iznad kora. Nisu bila prethodno izvršena geološka istraživanja temelja da bi se onda prema vrsti podloge određivala debljina i dubljina temelja. A kad je spomenuta komisija, nakon iskopavanja sondi, analizirala izvedbu temelja zgrade, došla do još poraznijih rezultata: sonde, iskopavane na deset mjesta, pokazale da se radi o tlu različitih nosivosti, da su temelji negdje naslojeni na postojeće zidove nekih zgrada, čak i iznad grobova, da je u temelje ugrađivan kamen neujednačene veličine. Već je u odobrenju gradnje od strane građevinskih vlasti stavljena klauzula da se visoki središnji zidovi moraju pojačati sa po dva kontrafora izvana, što ipak nije bilo učinjeno. Da bismo razumijeli kako je moglo doći do takvih brzopletnih i grubih pogrešaka pri izvođenju, treba znati da je u početku gradnje Odbor za gradnju crkve nastojao da se rezultati što prije ugledaju kako bi se onda prihodi od hodočasnika lakše dobivali. Odbor je i uzurpirao nadležnosti za koje članovi tog Odbora nisu imali odgovarajućih kvalifikacija. Tako su se istaknuli Olovljani, članovi Odbora, naši uvrijeđeni kada je Provincijalat bosanskih franjevaca htio povjeriti nazor nad gradnjom tadašnjem vareškom župniku fra Dominik Pavloviću. Na jednoj svojoj sjednici (29.6.1930) oni izražavaju svoje negodovanje čak prijetnjom da će sebi pozvati starokatoličkog biskupa iz Zagreba ako im se ne dadnu odriješene ruke obzirom na gradnju. Zna se da su predstavnici tog Odbora sklopili ugovor s izvođačem Kolombatijem iz Olova, ali se iz dokumentacije ne zna tko je fungirao kao inžinjer nadrazitelj. Vjerojatno je to bio ing. Kidery koji je neko vrijeme bio predsjednik tog Odbora. Ali, nakon zastoja od nekoliko godina, uloga Odbora se uvelike smanjuje, sam fra Lujo nastupa kao zastupnik investitora a dovršenje radova biva povjereno ing. Vinku Doutliku iz Sarajeva. Radovi na saniranju izvođeni su 1965. i 1966. godine.


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Izvor: Bernardin Matić "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodočasnički Vodič" str. 42-44

Overview of Construction Activities
Aside from how the church was put under a roof and practically handed over for use until the beginning of the war on Yugoslav territory, windows with regular glass, doors, a stone altar, Stations of the Cross, the church was for the most part painted and whitewashed. Two residential buildings made of wood were built not far from the church, one was for the guardian of the shrine and the other was to facilitate lodging for the pilgrims.

During the course of the war, the buildings were relatively well kept. They were never bombed, nor used for attacks or shelter, even though bunkers and military trenches were on the cliffs above the church. During the first occupation of Olovo by the NOV (1), a group of these soldiers asked for the key from the guardian of the shrine, Stjepan Krajc, and searched the church so they could be sure that there wasn't any hidden ammunition or enemy soldiers. They acted decently in the church, respecting the shrine. Later, there were surprise forcible attacks from various armies, and lesser looting occurred. However, one can say that they church was never abandoned nor destroyed. The residential buildings near the church were frequently used for "mujahirs" (2). Construction work was non-existent during that time.

The second half of this century, for church life in Bosnia was characterized by the flourishing construction of sacral objects. But that cannot be said for the shrine in Olovo. One reason can be found in the need for improvements to the existing buildings, in which a good amount of resources, labor and time needed to be invested. Shortly after the masonry work, the Karlo Parzik the designer had already died, cracks in the walls were noticed. It was initially believed that the cause of this was that the ground along the walls was saturated, and drainage, canals, flagstones and fugues were repaired, and the space in between the church and the cliffs were repaired. But the cracks kept "working" and new ones appeared. Finally they had to expertly prepare and according to the plans of experts carry out work on improving the foundation and the walls.

It has to be recognized that the blueprint of the designer was created with much love, but it was shown that that blueprint wasn't adequately worked out and everything that needed to be given to properly carry it out wasn't done beforehand. When the expert commission made up of engineer-statistician Hilmo Mujezinovic from Sarajevo and Jozo Tokmacic from Vares in 1963 and 1964 researched the causes of the dangerous cracks, stated that no statistical accounts did not exist, but rather that the architect on the basis of experience set the dimensions of the walls and the construction. Prior to the renovation iron reinforcements were placed the presbytery and the choir. Geological studies were not completed ahead of time so that the thickness and depth of the foundation could be in accordance with the type of base present. When the above mentioned commission after probing, analyzed the construction of the foundation, had more devastating results: the probes, dug in ten places showed that this was a base of different support, and that the foundations were in some places placed on walls of previously existing buildings, even above graves, and that the foundation was built with stones of different sizes. Even in the decision of the civil authorities, was a clause that the high central walls had to be strengthened with exterior supports, which hadn't been done. To understand how such rash and crude mistakes could have occurred prior to construction, the board for the church's construction at the beginning wanted results so that donations from the pilgrims would be more easily obtained. The board usurped the duties for those members of the board that did not have the appropriate qualifications. Which is why the Olovians, members of the board were insulted when the Provincial of the Bosnian Franciscans wanted to assign the then pastor of Vares, friar Dominik Pavlovic to supervise the construction. In one of their meetings on June 29, 1930, they vented their dissatisfaction and even threatened to invite the Old Catholic Bishop of Zagreb if they weren't given a free hand in the construction. It is known that the representatives of that board made an agreement with Jozef Kolombati the contractor from Olovo, but from these documents it isn't known who acted as the supervising engineer. It is possible that it was engineer Kidery, who was for a time the president of the board. But after a hiatus of several years, the role of the board was reduced, and friar Lujo acted as representative of the investors, and completion of the work was assigned to engineer Vinko Doutlik from Sarajevo. Renovation work was carried out in 1965 and 1966.


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1. NOV is the Croatian acronym for National Liberation Army, which were the Partisans.

2. Mujahir is a Muslim refugee.

Source: Bernardin Matic "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodocasnicki Vodic" pp. 42-44

Ostali građevinski radovi izvana

1958. godine, u crkvenom dvorištu, u neposrednoj blizini zidova stare crkve, iskopan je bunar s vrlo kvalitetnom vodom za piće. Oko pet metara iznad njega postojao je neki stari bunar koji su radnici godinama gradnje crkve očistili i nad njim sagradili malu nadstrešnicu sa čekrkom za grabljenje vode. Ta voda nije bila baš ugodna za piće. A kad se kopala krečana za gašenje vapna kojim će se krečiti crkva, primijetilo se da često u krečanu pridolazi nova voda. Stoga je poduzeta akcija da se taj izvor pronađe i iskoristi. Bunar je kopan do dubine oko 10 metara, gdje je dalje stijena.
Nalazi iz kopanja bunara su i za ocjenjivanje sastava zemljišta na crkvištu. Na dubini od oko dva i pol metara naišli su na sačuvanu staru ogradu od hrastovih kolaca i pošćaca, što upućuje na to da je debljina nanosa koji je formiran nakon rušenja crkve i samostana više od dva metra.

Mnogi važniji rezultat kopanja bunara jest izvrsna voda za piće, i stanovnicima uz crkvu koji nemaju gradskog vodovoda, i privremenim hodočasnicima. Znaju to stariji hodočasnici koja su na Veliku Gospu morali kupovati vodu, lončić po lončić, od dječaka mještana koji su ju donosili na crkvište u džbanovima i ibricima. Za vodu koju je pokazala Gospa u Lurdu 1858. godine kaže se da je čudotvorna: za ovu koja je za Olovsku Gospu dobivena točno sto godina kasnije, može se s pravom reći da je blagotvorna.

1968-1971. izgrađene su dvije prednje kule.

prva se gradila zapadna kula i, prema želji fra Lujinoj, posvećena je fra Matiji Divkoviću, ocu bosanske književnosti. Drugu, istočnu kulu, fra Lujo nije dočekao, ali ona je dočekala njega. U podzemnoj prostoriji te kule, koja ima ulaz i s vana iz crkve, izgrađen je mali mauzolej gdje su preneseni posmrtni ostaci fra Luje Zloušića, najslužnijeg obnovitelja Svetišta. Nacrt za uređenje izradio je mladi slovenski arhitekt ing. Janez First. Fra Lujinu bistu, koja je ondje smještena, izradio je likovni umjetnik Kruno Bošnjak iz Zagreba.

Nutarnjost kula je razdijeljena na četiri etaže, u kojima se prostori mogu koristiti za prenoćivanje i druge namjene.

1972-1973. izgrađena je u blizini crkve suvremena stambena zgrada za stanovanje stalnog svećenika i privhaćenje svećenika koji povremeno dolaze u pomoć ili za svoju duhovnu obnovu. Za njezinu gradnju vodio je brigu fra Leopold Rochmes, prvi službeno imenovani upravitelj Svetišta koji se i stalno nastanio uz olovsku crkvu. Nacrt za kuću izgradio je mladi arhitekt R. Mandić iz Sarajeva. Kuća je jednokatnica bez podruma, 14x9 m, opremljena jednom većom dvoranom - blagovaonicom, kuhinjom, i ostavom, pet soba za stanovanje, centralnim grijanjim itd.

1977-1978. preslagano je u tehnici zidanja betonim oko 40 metara potpornog zida (koji je u svemu dug 76 metara a prosječna visina 4 metara). Naime, na jednom kraju ovaj do tada suhi zid bio se obrušio i napravio nemalenu štetu na susjedovoj njivi; a i na drugom kraju prijetila je opasnosti da se tako isto dogodi.

1978. provedeni su kablovi i postavljeni uređaji za ozvučenje crkve i osobito dvorišta pred crkvom da bi se ondje moglo nesmetano obavljati bogoslužje kada je toliko hodočasnika da ne mogu stati u crkvu.

1980. izmijenjen je krov i dotadašnji crijep zamijenjen bakrenim limom. Radove je izvodio limarski majstor Hikmet Prljača iz Sarajeva. U sklopu tih radova provedeni su gromobrani s uzemljenjem oko cijele crkve.


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Izvor: Bernardin Matić "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodočasnički Vodič" str. 44-46

Other Exterior of Construction Work

In 1958, a well was dug on the church grounds very close to the walls of the old church, which had excellent drinking water. About five meters above it was some old well which the workers during the years of construction cleaned up and made a small roof with a winch for collecting water. That water wasn't the best for drinking. When a pit was dug to slake the lime to whitewash the church, new water was frequently seen in the lime pit. An action was undertaken to find the source and exploit it. The well was dug to a depth of ten meters, and afterwards is bedrock.

Finds from the dig were used to judge the composition of the soil at the shrine. At a depth of two and a half meters, they came across a preserved old fence from posts made from oak and a staff, which meant that the deposits that were formed after the destruction of the church and monastery were more than two meters.

The most important results of the dig were excellent drinking water, for the residents near the church that do not have city water, and the occasional pilgrim. The older pilgrims, who at the Assumption had to buy water cup by cup from the children of the residents who brought it to the shrine in coffee pots and jugs. The water, which appeared at Our Lady of Lourdes in 1858, was said to be miraculous, for the water which came exactly one hundred years later at Our Lady of Olovo can be rightfully said to be a blessing.

The two front towers were built from 1968-1971.

First the western tower was built, and according to the wished of friar Lujo, it was dedicated to friar Matija Divkovic, the father of Bosnian literature. Friar Lujo did not wait for the other eastern tower, but it waited for him. On the ground floor of that tower which has an entrance from outside and the church, a small mausoleum was built where the remains friar Lujo Zlousic's were placed, who the most dedicated rebuilder of the shrine. A young Slovenian architect, Janez First, created the blueprint for the arrangement. The bust of Friar Lujo, which is placed there, was made by Kruno Bosnjak, a sculptor from Zagreb.

The interior of the tower is divided into four floors, whose space can be used for overnight lodging or for other uses.

A modern residential building was built near the church from 1972-1973, for the residence of a permanent priest and other priests who occasionally come to help, or for their own spiritual renewal. Friar Leopold Rochmes, the first officially named administrator of the shrine who permanently lived along the Olovo church, oversaw its construction. A young architect from Sarajevo, R. Mandic, created the blueprint for the house. The one story house has no basement, is 14 x 9 meters and is equipped with a large room, dining room, kitchen, a closet, five bedrooms, central heating, etc.

From 1977-1978 a large retaining wall about 40 meters long was built out of concrete, which is all together 76 meters long and has an average height of 4 meters. One portion of the then dry retaining wall collapsed and caused a large amount of damage to a neighbor's field, and at the other end danger was present if the same thing happened.

In 1978, cables were installed for a sound system in the church and especially the area in front of the church, so that one could listen to Mass unobstructed when there were that many pilgrims, who couldn't all fit in the church.

In 1980 the roof was replaced, and the then shingles were replaced with copper tin. Tinsmith Hikmet Prljaca from Sarajevo did the work. Along with that work, lightning rods with grounding were installed around the entire church.


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Source: Bernardin Matic "Gospa Olovska - Mala Monografija I Hodocasnicki Vodic" pp. 44-46

Stecak,

svaka ti čast na trudu oko prevođenja tekstova na engleski.

Možda bi mogao staviti i dvojezične natpise tema kako bi lakše privukao pažnju čitatelja kojima je lakše čitati na engleskom, npr.:

Bosanska kraljica Katarina / Catherine, the Bosnian Queen
Gospa Olovska / Our Lady of Olovo
Teška vladavina Stjepana Tomaša / Difficult reign of King Stephen Thomas

Olovo je veoma značajno za našu povijest. Značajno je da je ono najslikovitiji prikaz i dokaz naše prošlosti koje smo svjesni a koje nisu svjesni neki prodavači magle koji se stide svoje prošlosti, svojih katoličkih pradjedova. Upravo činjenica da je to nekada bio 100% katolički kraj, a sada uz iznimku par naših sela, skoro potpuno muslimanski, najbolje govori o prošlosti našeg naroda i o besmislenosti vještačkog i nasilnog stvaranja jedne bogumilske tradicije, kako je Ivan Lovrenović napisao - stvaranje nekih zombija! Značajno je i zbog toga jer ukazuje na migracije našeg naroda (zapravo samo jednu od bezbroj), koji je iz Olova naselio pusti Ilok, Slavoniju, Srijem.
To smo sve mi dakako i prije znali, ali nekim zlonamjernicima i smutljivcima ili pak neznalicama to treba stalno ponavljati, da shvate da smo svi mi Hrvati Bosne, Hercegovine, Slavonije, Dalmacije itd , da smo sve jedna krv i da smo svi mnogo više povezani nego što mnogi to misle.

Bernardin očito nikad nije bio u Olovu , jer nebi ovo provaljivao

Ej jel ima tko slike te crkve u Bakićima,ja ne mogu naći niti jednu sliku na netu...

Svaki Bunjevac koji drži do sebe i svoje povisti, zna da su mu pretke u južnu Ugarsku dovodili upravo franjevci iz Olova.
Zna se međutim i za jedan izuzetak, a to je seoba koju je pridvodio harambaša i naš narodni junak, Luka Sučić (Sučići su stara plemićka obitelj iz Livna), kasnije i čuveni subotički kapetan.
Da je novaca, svakako bi positio i Olovo i Fojnice. To je u niku ruku i kulturno hodočašće, ne samo religiozno.
Crkva i vira su nas je održale kroz vikove, i kripile dušu u nevolji.

Evo objavio sam članak o Olovu!!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Croatian- ... 3092949738
Nisam stacvio više slika crkve jer nisam našao (stavljam samo velike slike)
Možete mi i lajkati!!