Velika Gospa (Vela Gospa) is the feast day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven. It is regularly celebrated on August 15th every year. This day is also a public holiday in the Republic of Croatia.
According to Catholic theology, Mary was assumed into heaven body and soul, and the doctrine of Mary's assumption into heaven was proclaimed by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950.
On the day of the Assumption of Mary, a multitude of believers makes pilgrimages to numerous Marian shrines around the world. The same is true in Croatia. In our Catholic tradition, Mary, the Mother of God, holds a special place and is particularly revered and celebrated. This is evidenced by numerous Marian shrines throughout Croatia, as well as in areas where Croats traditionally live. According to some sources, there are as many as 107 such Marian shrines in Croatia to which Croatian Catholics, as well as those from other countries, regularly make pilgrimages.
The most famous Marian shrines in Croatia are:
- Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Bistrica
- Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat
- Sanctuary of Our Lady of Refuge in Aljmaš
- Sanctuary of the Miraculous Lady of Sinj in Sinj
Lastly, the Sanctuary of the Miraculous Lady of Sinj in Sinj is especially important for Croatian Catholics. Incidentally, the Lady of Sinj is the name for the Most Holy Mother of God of Mercy, who is depicted on the altarpiece in the church of the Sinj Franciscan monastery. It is considered miraculous, and according to tradition, the intercession of the people of Sinj with the Lady of Sinj saved them from Ottoman enslavement.
Our Lady of Sinj is also depicted on a Croatian coin, a small gold coin with a nominal value of 20 kuna, which was issued in 2015 on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the Sinjska Alka.
The mass of this gold coin is 1.244 g, and it is minted in .999 purity gold. The diameter is 14 mm. The author of the visual design is the academic sculptor Petrinjak. The emission prescribed by regulation is 30,000 pieces.
In numismatic literature, this coin is registered under the catalog number D3 in the catalog “Coins and banknotes of Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia”, author Zlatko Viščević.
On the face of the gold coin is the contour of the Sinj fortress, below which is the denomination mark “20 / KUNA”. To the right of the denomination is the depiction of an iron ring. Along the lower edge of the gold coin is the semicircular inscription “REPUBLIKA HRVATSKA”. The inscription is separated by the coat of arms of the Republic of Croatia.
The reverse side depicts the figure of Our Lady of Sinj, exactly as she appears in the painting. At the lower right, along the edge, is the semicircular inscription “SINJSKA ALKA 1715.-2015.”.
The edge of the gold coin is smooth.
This gold coin, like other coins from the commemorative coin series dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Sinjska Alka, was released for sale on August 2, 2014.
Author: Zlatko Viščević
Photos: Croatian Monetary Institute [https://croatianmint.hrWikipediahttps://www.wikipedia.org]
