The bell tower of the Church of St. Anthony of Padua, alongside the minaret of the Fethiye Mosque in the very center of the city, is part of the skyline that makes Bihać recognizable and is among the most common motifs on postcards and photographs of the city, writes Večernji list BiH. The Church of St. Anthony of Padua, along with its plaza in the center of Bihać, is set to undergo a transformation in the upcoming period. This entails revitalization and reconstruction to give the structure a new look and put it into use. Funds for the conceptual and main project are secured, the conceptual phase is completed, and the main project awaits the issuance of a building permit.
In 2013, the City Council of Bihać decided to entrust the Church of St. Anthony of Padua and its plaza to the Franciscan Province of Bosnia Srebrena for revitalization, reconstruction, and use as a national monument. The Bihać parish embarked on the project in 2022, engaging a licensed architectural firm specializing in national monuments to develop a conceptual design. The plaza, formerly the site of the church, is planned to become multifunctional and acquire a completely new purpose.
"We started this project of development, i.e., revitalization of the Church and the Plaza of St. Anthony of Padua in the city center over a year ago. We know that this was a former church that was destroyed in the Allied bombing of Bihać in 1944. During communism, the space was confiscated from the Church, and it remained so until 2006. In 2013, by decision of the City Council, the Franciscan Province of Bosnia Srebrena and our parish were granted the use of this plaza and the bell tower of the Church of St. Anthony of Padua, and then the consideration began for its revitalization and reconstruction. The plan is to completely renovate the bell tower and have the rear part of the tower serve as an observation deck since it is the highest point in the city of Bihać. It would serve as an excellent observation deck from which all other landmarks in the old town could be seen. We would also renovate the plaza itself, the space of the former church. According to the conceptual design, a glass-steel structure is planned to cover this space, which would be used for cultural, religious events, promotions, concerts, which are of cultural significance to our parish and the city of Bihać," says Father Ivan Tučić, parish priest of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Bihać.
After restoration, the bell tower is intended to be utilized for tourism purposes, specifically as a city observation deck, being the highest point in the old town. "The project envisions the tower serving as an observation deck. It could offer attractive photo opportunities, appealing to tourists visiting Bihać," says Elvedin Sedić, the mayor of Bihać. Additionally, plans include utilizing the basement area for souvenir shops and restroom facilities. The main goal of the project is to revitalize the space and make it self-sustainable, and various activities have been devised to generate revenue to avoid additional financial burden on the functioning of the parish. So far, only a conceptual design has been completed, with further steps requiring approval from the relevant authorities and the development of the main project.
"The conceptual design is not the main project; it's not a finalized solution. It's what we currently have. We proceeded with this towards the Federal Ministry of Spatial Planning after consulting with the Cantonal Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction, and Environmental Protection. They are expected to issue urban planning consent, and with that, we will move on to the development of the main project and then start the restoration process," says Father Ivan Tučić, parish priest of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Bihać. The exact cost of the renovation will be determined upon the completion of the main project, but the parish anticipates it will be a multimillion-dollar endeavor.
"When we embark on the restoration process of the entire area, we will have to seek assistance from various sources, from the Government of the Republic of Croatia and some church institutions and organizations, primarily in Europe, Germany. Of course, we also expect support from the City of Bihać, the Government of the Canton, and the Federation. We, as the parish, are the investors, but we don't have the funds for the restoration. I think it's in everyone's interest to restore this entire area, and with a little goodwill, I believe the funds can be found. Naturally, the restoration will be done in phases, and it won't happen within a year. We have time ahead of us. We won't give up, for sure. We will fight. I hope we will live to see the restoration of our bell tower and that this entire area will be an added value in terms of culture in our city," adds Father Ivan.
Self-sustaining Space
According to the parish priest, the financial structure for the conceptual and main projects is finalized, with around 52,000 marks secured. Once the bell tower of St. Anthony of Padua with its plaza, where the former church once stood, is restored, it must become a self-sustaining space and not burden the normal functioning of the Bihać parish. This is an extremely costly project, and it would be problematic if the renovated bell tower and plaza couldn't be maintained - says the parish priest of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Bihać, Father Ivan Tučić.
AI-translated
