Church of the Queen of Heaven and Earth

The Parish of the Queen of Heaven and Earth was officially established on November 21, 1961. It was a period of rapid development in Ploče, but also a time when the town had neither a church nor a bell tower, which was quite unusual for Croatian circumstances. The first masses and religious activities took place in improvised spaces, even in barracks. For a certain period, Holy Mass was celebrated in a private house (in Birina), where the faithful literally brought benches and a table that served as an altar. In 1997, official permission was granted for the construction of a new parish center.

The Church of the Queen of Heaven and Earth is a modern Catholic church built at the turn of the millennium, after Ploče had developed as a port and settlement. Its exterior reflects contemporary and functional architecture, quite different from the typical old Dalmatian churches. It has a simple and clean form, without many decorations. The church was designed with an emphasis on space and function rather than ornamentation. It appears monumental yet unobtrusive and blends well with the urban appearance of Ploče, which is a relatively modern town. The bell tower is also simple and undecorated, while its height makes it a visual landmark of the town. The church floor plan is simple and rectangular. Although it contains elements of a classical three-aisled basilica, it is actually a modern single-nave structure with a strictly linear spatial organization – arranged along the axis from the entrance to the altar. The church has a clear and well-organized layout, typical of contemporary sacred architecture.