Split 3 Ways – August 2020 – Go…See…Do…Be

The three highlights of our week in the city of Split include a palace, an island, and sunsets. But first, just a bit of information about the city and region. Split sits on the Adriatic Sea in the Dalmatia region and was founded as a Greek colony in the 3rd or 2nd century BC. The city’s name is a Croatian version of the Greek word for a spiny broom plant found in the area. The popular-in-the-US and friendly Dalmatian breed of dog originated in this part of the country, and we even saw one Dalmatian pup during our time in Split.

Diocletian’s Palace – The 4th century Roman emperor Diocletian planned ahead for his retirement home. He selected a spot on the Adriatic Sea for the 30,000 square meter palace for him, his family, servants, and military personnel. During the 10 years of construction, craftsmen used local limestone, marble from Italy and Greece, plus Egyptian columns and sphinxes. Eighteen centuries later, the very well-preserved Roman palace is not only a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but is also one of the Croatian filming locations for the popular TV series Game of Thrones. The 220 buildings within the palace walls comprise a very interesting mix of historical structures, museums, residences, restaurants, shops, and a labyrinth of stone walkways. We never tired of exploring the palace.

The fortified walls include four gates, still used today by the 3,000 palace residents.

Golden Gate – main and royal entrance on north side of palace

The hollow, bronze statue of Gregory of Nin dominates the road just outside the Golden Gate. The almost eight-meter tall piece depicts the famous bishop who opposed rulings of the Roman Catholic Church in the 900s. Many tourists continue the tradition of rubbing the big toe of the statue’s left foot to bring good luck.

We made sure to see the very tiny, 7th century Church of St. Martin, which occupies the former guardhouse hallway just above the Golden Gate. The chapel, 1.64 meters wide and 10 meters long, may be the smallest church in the world.

From the interior side of the Golden Gate, 3 of the church windows can be seen.

The intersection of two main roads inside the palace forms the central square, officially called Peristyle.

Initially the palace displayed 12 Egyptian black granite sphinxes. Now only 3 remain, including this one at the southeast corner of the Peristyle.

The octagonal-shaped Cathedral of St. Domnius occupies the east side of the Peristyle and was originally constructed as Diocletian’s mausoleum. The emperor became one of the last persecutors of Christians, and when the Christians occupied the Dalmatian region in the 5th century they, not surprisingly, destroyed his sarcophagus. We opted not to climb the 13th century bell tower that took 300 years to build.

The original 24 marble columns from Egypt still surround the cathedral.

Daily religious services are still conducted in the cathedral, but baptisms take place in what used to be the Temple of Jupiter, just a short walk away. Sixty-four intricate panels decorate the curved ceiling and below stands the bronze statue of John the Baptist. We had a close-up view of the marble baptistery, which includes the oldest intact image of a Croatian king. Historians are not quite sure if the image depicts the coronation of Peter Kresimir IV or Demetrius Zvonimir. Early Christians defaced the black granite sphinx at the temple entrance because they considered it to be a pagan icon.

Entrance to the Temple of Jupiter with damaged sphinx in the foreground

A few more palace details. . .

Upward view in vestibule
(Entrance to residential area)

Trogir – We took a one hour ferry ride from Split to the small island of Trogir, 250 x 500 meters with about 10,000 residents. During our walk around the island we visited the four main attractions.

The Cathedral of St. Lawrence dominates the Trogir skyline. The beautiful bell tower was completed in the 15th century, 200 years after the main cathedral structure was built.

Focal point of main portal is gothic art by Radovan

The cathedral forms one side of St. John Square and the 15th century clock tower of St. Sebastian’s Church dominates the opposite side. The square was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.

View of the square from the cathedral bell tower

It’s easy to miss the very small St. Barbara Church, originally built in the 10th century from fragments of broken stones.

We only photographed the exterior of the aging Kamerlengo Fortress walls and four towers. Originally built as a naval base, the 14th century structure is now a popular venue for performances in the warm summer months.

Split Sunsets – Every evening we enjoyed colorful and often cloudy sunsets.