CRKVENA POVIJEST IMOTSKE OKOLICE U RANONOM NOVOM VIJEKU

Crkveno stanje u Imoti tijekom ranog novog vijeka je bilo vrlo kompleksno jer Turci nisu sa simpatijama gledali na Katoličku crkvu i svećenici su bili često ugnjetavani i optuživani kako podižu narod protiv države. Najzaslužniji za očuvanje vjere u teškim vremenima pod turskom vlašću su bili franjevci i popovi glagoljaši. Samostan u Imotskom je podignut oko 1300. godine na izvoru rijeke Vrljike, ali je kasnije premješten na sigurniju lokaciju na Otočić u Prološcu. Opasnost od Turaka je i dalje bila prisutna te su franjevci često napuštali samostan. Konačan odlazak sa Otočića se dogodio 1715. godine kada su otišli u Omiš gdje je prestala izravna turska opasnost te su franjevci planirali izgraditi samostan u gradu što su kasnije i učinili. Nakon oslobođenja Imotskog od turske vlasti 1718. godine vjerski život je ponovno živnuo jer je Mletačka republika dozvoljavala gradnju novih crkvi i nije bilo posebnih ograničenja. Nakon oslobođenja Imotskog, Mlečani su na samom ulazu na tvrđavu Topanu sazidali crkvicu Gospe od Anđela koja je ujedno i zaštitnica grada. S obzirom da je tada bila jedina crkva u gradu bila je često prenapučena te su Mlečani osnovali novu župu u Imotskom za narod dok su se crkvom u Topani služili vojnici. Osnivanjem nove župe trebalo je sagraditi i novu crkvu koja je započeta s gradnjom 1727. godine te je zbog teškog financijskog stanja završena tek 1736. godine. Sljedeći korak imotskih franjevaca je bio premještaj samostana iz Omiša u Imotski, ali tu naišli na određene probleme jer se makarski biskup Stipan Blašković usprotivio takvom potezu. Nakon što su uzeli u obzir argumente s jedne i druge strane, Mlečani su dozvolili premještaj jer franjevci nisu prekršili crkvena pravila u kojima jasno piše kako se samostan može premještati bez biskupovog dopuštenja. Samostan u Imotskom je svečano proglašen 2. kolovoza 1738. godine na svečanosti koju je vodio fra Stjepan Vrljić. On je izgradio prizemlje samostana kojeg će kasnije proširiti fra Šimun Gudelj. Mnogo toga su učinili za vjerski život i svakako su najznačajnije osobe u ovom 24 razdoblju crkvene povijesti u Imoti. Samostan je u potpunosti završen 1856. godine zbog kompleksne političke situacije u Dalmaciji.During the early modern period a situation in the Church of Imota was very complex due to the fact that the Turks did not support the Catholic Church. Priests were often opressed and accused of encouraging people against the state. Franciscans and Glagolitic priests were the ones who fought the hardest to preserve faith in difficult times under Turkish authority. A monastery in Imotski was built around 1300 on a spring of the river Vrljika, but later it was relocated on a safer location Otočić in Proložac. Franciscans often left the monastery because a danger from the Turks was still present. Final departure happened in 1775 when they left to Omiš where they planned to build a monastery. Later, they actually did it because Turkish people did not represent danger anymore. After liberation of Imotski from Turkish authority in 1778, a religious life flourished again because Venetian Republic allowed construction of new churches and there were no particular restrictions. Venetians built a small church Gospe od Anđela, who is a patron of the town, on the entrance of a fortress Topana. According to the fact it was the only church in Imotski, it was often overcrowded so Venetians founded a new parish in Imotski. It was for local people, while soldiers went to the church on Topana. By establishment of a new parish, there was a demand for a new church. Construction started in 1727 but, due to a difficult financial situation, it was not finished until 1736. The next step of Franciscans was to relocate the monastery from Omiš to Imotski, but they faced certain problems because Stipan Blašković, Bishop of Makarska, opposed to that. After taking into consideration arguments of both sides, Venetians allowed the relocation because Franciscans did not break any Church rules. In these rules it is clearly said that a monastery can be relocated without a bishop's permission. Monastery in Imotski was offically declared on 2 August 1738 by a priest Stjepan Vrljić. He built a ground floor of a monastery which was later enlarged by a priest Šimun Gudelj. Franciscans contributed a lot to the religious life and they are the most significant people in this period of Church history in Imota. The monastery was not completely finished until 1856 because of the complex political situation in Dalmatia