The unique feast of Our Lady of the Angels, known as Perdun, gathered the faithful and tourists in a boat procession from Korčula to the island of Badija, preserving a centuries-old tradition.
This year, on the feast of Our Lady of the Angels on August 2, 2026, Korčula once again hosted the unique centuries-old boat procession known as Perdun. This extraordinary religious and cultural event, held on the feast of the Portiuncula, attracted numerous faithful and tourists eager to experience a tradition dating back to the 16th century.
The procession began at the Cathedral of St. Mark in Korčula, from where the locals set off with the miraculous image of Our Lady towards the nearby island of Badija. Many faithful and members of the famous Korčula brotherhoods boarded flower-adorned boats that carried them to their destination. Upon arrival at Badija, a procession formed from the bridge to the Church of the Assumption of Mary, where the faithful had the opportunity to go to confession in the monastery cloister before the solemn Mass and the return to Korčula.
The origin of this feast is linked to St. Francis of Assisi, who, according to tradition, experienced his conversion on August 2, 1208, in the small church of St. Mary of the Angels in Assisi. Prompted by this experience, he asked Pope Honorius III to declare the church a place of full indulgence from temporal punishments, which the pope did in 1216.
The small church still exists today, nestled within the magnificent Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels, the most important church of the Franciscan Order. The basilica was commissioned by Pope Pius V in the 16th century, and at the beginning of the 20th century, Pope Pius X elevated it to that status. Later, it was decreed that the full indulgence on the feast of Our Lady of the Angels could be obtained in any Franciscan church, from noon on August 1 to midnight on August 2, under the condition of a contrite confession, communion, and prayer.
The pilgrimage by boat from Korčula to Badija, according to the accounts of older Korčula residents, began as early as the 16th century. However, this tradition was violently interrupted after World War II, when the island of Badija was desacralized and taken from the Franciscans, and Perdun itself was abolished. The revival of this ancient feast occurred only in 1993.
Older locals remember how, before the war, the entire island and the Pelješac peninsula would pilgrimage to Badija by boat. On St. Nicholas Day, the people of Korčula would welcome boats from Blato and Vela Luka that arrived the night before, and along the way, the faithful would sing folk hymns in the boats. Some of these customs have been preserved to this day, and this year's Perdun atmosphere was captured by Korčula photographer Tomislav Samošćanec.
Since the event takes place in the middle of the tourist season, this Catholic feast, made even more unique by the locals boarding boats with the image of Our Lady, also offers a unique experience for the many guests and tourists visiting the town.
