Between sacrum and profanum: preliminary remarks on the late antique fortified settlement on Lukovac Islet (Rab Island, NW Adriatic, Croatia)

In one of the shallow bays of Lopar, in the northern part of the Island of Rab, dominates a rocky islet known as Lukovac. Despite its small size, the islet reveals unique late antique architectural remains. Based on the fieldwork conducted, it can be concluded that almost the entire area of the islet was covered by masonry buildings. The islet was additionally surrounded by a wall reinforced with buttresses. The church was the centrepiece of this late antique settlement. It was a simple building, consisting of only one nave and a semi-circular apse articulated by four lesene. Considering the data collected so far, it is likely that in the late antiquity Lukovac Islet fulfilled the function of a fortified settlement, possibly a refugium for local population, while its role as a logistical centre for the Byzantine military presence in the region cannot be fully ruled out. The presence of a large church may suggest that the islet once functioned not only as a local central religious site, but also as a local “centre of power”.