Twin bell towers
The village landmark.
Ante Perkovic — CC BY 2.5 · gnuckx — CC BY 2.0 · gnuckx — CC BY 2.0 · gnuckx — CC BY 2.0 · gnuckx — CC BY 2.0 · Berthold Werner — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Piotr Frydecki — CC BY-SA 3.0 · gnuckx — CC BY 2.0
The Catholic parish church of the village of Međugorje in Herzegovina, run by the Franciscans and a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The parish was founded in 1892 and its first church completed in 1897, but it stood on unstable ground and cracked, so work on the present church, designed by the architect Stjepan Podhorsky, began in the 1930s. Construction stopped during the Second World War; the church was finished and consecrated on 19 January 1969, and its towers and decoration were completed by 1980. It is known for its twin bell towers and seats more than two thousand people, a large size for a small farming village. Since 1981 Međugorje has been one of the world's best-known Catholic pilgrimage sites, after six local children said they had seen the Virgin Mary. More than 50 million people are estimated to have visited the parish since then. In 2024 the Vatican approved «prudent devotion» here without declaring that the apparitions took place. Behind the church is a large open-air area with benches and an outdoor altar for big crowds, surrounded by gardens and statues. Entry is free; it is a place of worship, so quiet behaviour and modest dress are advisable, and it gets very busy in summer and on religious occasions.
The village landmark.
Space for thousands.
Around the church.
Centre of Međugorje village, southwest of Mostar
It has been one of the best-known Catholic pilgrimage sites since 1981, when six local children said they had seen the Virgin Mary. In 2024 the Vatican approved «prudent devotion» there without declaring the apparitions real.
