Franciscan Monastery of the Virgin Mary was founded in the late 15th century, when the Franciscans arrived in Makarska and settled outside the village, near the church of St. Mary. In 1572, when the Venetians took part in the war with the Turks, the monastery suffered serious damage. Abode was again destroyed in the war in the 17th century, when the Turks set fire to part of the monastery with the church, and the second part was destroyed by earthquake in 1667.

However, the monks left the monastery, even when restored buildings of the monastery after the war. In 1944 the monastery was confiscated by the government and converted into a wellness center.

After the earthquake in 1962 the old part of the monastery was destroyed, but soon recovered. When in 1980, a health center moved to a new building, it took a lot of time before the monastery was returned all the buildings. This happened only in 2002. Now the monastery is a museum of shells.