dedicated to photographer Ivan Pešiċ and to his wife, a native of Split
In a Nutshell
Split is the second largest city in Croatia and the largest city on the Dalmatian Coast of the Adriatic Sea. It is also more than 1700 years old!
Split started around the Palace of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, around 300 CE.
It developed into a fortified city in the VII Century when the old Roman capital of Salona was abandoned.
Split and most of the Dalmatian Coast fell under Venetian control during the Middle Ages.
Venetian rule ended with Napoleon, then the Habsburgs took over. When the Habsburg Empire dissolved, Croatia became part of Yugoslavia, then regained its independence in 1991.
Diocletian's Palace
The North (Golden) Gate
This was the main gate to Diocletian’s Palace and was used by the emperor to enter the palace. Previously, there were octagonal towers on either side of the gate and later a large Benedictine convent, which was later commissioned as a military hospital. None of these structures exist today.The Golden Gate had double gates creating a defense system where invaders would be captured between the outer and inner gates into a small courtyard.
The North (Golden) Gate, view from a nearby park and detail
Sitting above the gate is the 5th century Chapel of St. Martin, the patron saint of soldiers. This miniscule chapel measuring just 5 meters in width is one of the earliest Christian chapels in the world.
Musicians inside a small courtyard within the North Gate
Detail of the original stone wall
A creative use for a small opening in the old Roman wall
The East Gate
Apart from the North (Golden) Gate, the Silver Gate is the only intact gate left of Diocletian's palace. It serves as the gateway to the local farmers’ market and 'bazzar‘ where touristy souvenirs and cheap goods are sold.The gate is four storeys high and has most of its arches and niches intact. From here one can see all the way down to the West (Iron) Gate as well as the top of Diocletian's Mausoleum and the Bell Tower of the St. Duje Cathedral.
A cat belonging to one of the vendors by the East Gate - a Croatian doppleganger of my Chartreux cat Pepper
St. Duje Cathedral
The Cathedral of St Domnius (Katedral Sv. Duje), located within the original ancient area of the Palace of Diocletian, was originally Diocletian's mausoleum. The Cathedral of St.Duje is the smallest cathedral in the world but also the oldest. Diocletian’s mausoleum was transformed into a Christian church in the 7th century. Domnius was a Bishop of Salona (Solin) who was martyred by Emperor Diocletian in 304 CE. The Croatian version of the Latin name Domnius is Duje.
Baptistery of St. John
The Baptistery of St John (Sv Ivan Krstitelj) is located inside Diocletian’s Palace in what was originally the Roman Temple of Jupiter. During the late classical era, the temple was transformed into the baptistery of St. John. Inside there is an Art Nouveau sculpture of St. John the Baptist by the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovič.
The Peristyle
The Peristyle is the central open-air area of the palace. Its longitudinal sides are surrounded by an arched colonnade; the arches in the west are closed by Gothic and Renaissance houses.The Peristyle area is one of the favourite spots of the tourists who love to take pictures with the actors dressed as Roman soldiers
Early morning view of the Peristyle area
The top of the belltower seen from inside the vestibule to Diocletian’s living quarters
Traditional Klapa Choir (Klapa - A Capella Dalmatian Singing)
Actors dressed as Roman soldiers
The capital of one of the Peristyle columns
The Palace at Night
Thanks for scrolling all the way down, and I hope you liked what you saw.
