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With so much to see and do in Split, we knew that we had to be up with the birds and out the door early! What each of us wanted to experience, however, was a bit different, so we decided to do what we could together and then split up later in the day.
While Saint Domnius was right outside our window, it was still an hour or so from its opening so we decided to start our explorations along the waterfront and then loop back around into the main part of the city.
Being such an ancient city, there were many ruins that we encountered as we made our way to the Riva. Passing the Church of Bana Jelačića, we made our way around the harbor to the West Bank, admiring the boats along the way…some we could only wish to ever travel on! Set in the walkway along the water were bronze plaques commemorating Croatian athletes who had medaled in past Olympic games.
Reaching Sustipan Park, we decided that this would be our turning point and we headed back toward the city center along the cobblestone streets amidst the ancient stone buildings. There were interesting things to see along the way…cute cafes, wall art, sculpture, historic buildings, souvenir stands, museums. Passing through Fruit Square, we stopped for a moment to inspect the statue of Marko Marulic, the famous Croatian and Split author, designed by Ivan Meštrović.
Eventually, we found ourselves at the Iron Gate (West Gate) of the Diocletian Palace. The four gates of the palace have been preserved and we had spotted the Silver Gate (East Gate) upon our arrival while attempting to find our Airbnb. The Iron Gate is an interesting piece of architecture with its bell tower (connected to the chapel of Our Lady of the Bell Tower) and unique clock with twenty-four digits instead of the usual twelve. This gate, originally a military gate from which troops entered the complex, is the only one that has remained in continuous use to this day. While a sculpture of Nike, the Roman goddess of Victory once stood on the horizontal beam, it was removed and later replaced with an engraved cross. Today, there is another sculpture to the right as you approach from the west.
As I mentioned, we were staying within the Diocletian Palace, however, when I had opted to make Split a part of our travel plans, I had imagined that this palace was one to visit, much like Buckingham in London or Pena in Sintra. Not being the case, I learned that this ancient structure was built as a retirement residence for the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD. Forming about half of the Old Town of Split, the term palace is a bit misleading as it resembles more of a large fortress with about half of it once marked for Diocletian’s personal use and the rest as a military garrison. Today, it is filled with shops, apartments and museums.
Winding our way through the palace’s many passages and courtyards, we found ourselves on the north side. Here was the Golden Gate (North Gate), which was originally the main gate from which Diocletian entered the complex and probably the gate the Emperor entered after his abdication from the imperial throne. The church of St. Martin can be found above the gate and is usually open to the public, but much to my dismay, on this particular day it was not.
Outside the gate, however, we found the remains of the Benedictine monastery of St. Euphemia. The small chapel that remains, sits alongside the palace walls in Giardin Park, as well as its 18th century bell tower. Dating back to 1069, this convent was dedicated to Saint Arnir, the Archbishop of Split who was stoned to death in 1180. The complex was destroyed by fire in 1888 and demolished in 1945 except for the tower and the small chapel. On the nearby steps leading to the palace is the colossal statue of Grgur Ninski. The bronze effigy symbolizes the Bishop of Nin (900-929) who was notorious for instructing the churches in his diocese to celebrate mass in the Croatian Glagolic language, instead of Latin, resulting in the loss of his stature.
Entering the palace again, we headed toward the Silver Gate (East Gate), which was nearest to our apartment. While still standing strong, it is the least composed compared to the three others and was once incorporated into the Church of Dušica, destroyed during World War II. With many vendors adjacent to the entrance, we took a moment to grab a water and browse.
Deciding that it was time to tackle Saint Dominus Cathedral, we headed in that direction, but first, stopping to inspect the Renaissance Church of Saint Roche, built in 1516 and which is now housing the Tourist Information office. Walking through the Peristyle, we entered the ticket office to purchase the tickets needed for the three parts of the Saint Dominus visit; the Cathedral, the Treasury and the Belfry.
Since the Treasury was within the same building as the ticket office, we decided to start there, making our way through the four upper floors which house the church’s extensive artifact and art collection.
Next, we headed across the Peristyle to the Church. Since no one was in line for the Belfry, we decided to make the climb first. While I admit, I was a bit winded from the many stairs to the top, the views from this perspective were unreal. The city spread out before us, with its orange hued roofs and the waters of the port lay to our south and mountains to our north. We could see the ferries readied for their island journeys in the harbor…our mode of transport for the next day.
The cathedral, originally built as Diocletian’s mausoleum was converted into a church by refugees from Salona in the 7th century. As we entered we admired the massive wooden doors, protected by glass, decorated with carvings that depict scenes from the life of Christ. Inside the church, the altar, dating back to the 15th century, holds court with its gilded ceiling and accoutrements and is flanked on the rear with the cathedral’s organ pipes. In the rear of the altar, is the choir decorated with dark paintings and wooden pews and above, the cathedral’s domed ceiling.
As we exited the cathedral, we made our way to the Crypt of Saint Lucy, located beneath the church. A relatively simple area, it is constructed of stone walls and centered with a altar topped with a statue of the Blessed Virgin.
Exiting the church, we entered, once again, the Peristyle, the popular meeting place that retains its use as it did in Roman times. There are beautiful carvings within the space, including the famous Sphinx. Impossible to miss, this 9 foot tall black granite statue sits on a ledge between the cathedral and the Peristyle, guarding the mausoleum. This impressive piece of art, the oldest artifact in the city, was brought to Split by Diocletian from Egypt as a war trophy after the Egyptian uprising was pacified by the Romans in 297-298 AD. Originating in the era of Pharaoh Tuthomosis the 3rd, it was one of twelve sphinxes that was commissioned by the Emperor.
Finally, we walked over to the Baptistery, the Temple of Jupiter, located in a narrow passageway on the west side of the Peristyle. The classical temple, built in Roman times, has a richly decorated portal and a vaulted ceiling. It was converted into a baptistery during the Middle Ages and an 11th century baptismal font was placed within. This font, decorated with stone carvings portraying a Croatian ruler on his throne. There is also a statue of St. John the Baptist and the sarcophagi of the Bishops of Split. Built around the 3rd century, the temple, which was one of the last such temples of its kind constructed within the Roman world, was named after Diocletian’s father, Jupiter. On the outside of the temple is another of the sphinx’s that was brought by Diocletian.
Since we had has such a long day, my husband was ready to relax in our apartment for a while. Me? Not so much! So we decided to split up for a few hours and each enjoy what we wanted. I still had souvenirs to purchase and I wanted to visit Diocletian’s Cellars located in the front of the Palace near the Brass Gate, the main entry point from the Promenade to the Cathedral. Often referred to as the “basement halls”, these cellars were constructed to partly elevate the Emperor’s chambers as well as a storage area for food and wine of the palace. During the Middle Ages, it was used as a residential area and later, as a water storage facility. Today, it is a relatively empty space that can be appreciated for it architectural prowess, but you can also inspect the remnants of a large press used in the production of wine, a nymphaeum and a marble table from the Emperor’s dining room.
The end of our day brought us to a fantastic recommendation by our Airbnb host, Ines…Villa Spiza. The thirty minute wait at this local restaurant was extremely worth it for the delicious entrees it served up…my fave, smelt!
With a full stomach, we headed back to our apartment noting the live music being performed in the Peristyle. Once inside, we opened up our windows and a bottle of wine and enjoyed the nighttime sounds of the Split!
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Airbnb-Peristyle Emperor Suite
Saint Dominus Cathedral
- Address: Diocletian’s Palace, Split, Croatia
- Hours: June-September, 0800-2000, daily. October and May, 0700-noon and 1700-1900, daily. November-April, 0700-noon.
- Admission: There are four types of tickets to choose from. Blue ticket (50 kn) includes 3 sites: The Cathedral, Crypt, Baptistery. Green ticket (70 kn) includes 3 sites: The Cathedral, Bell tower, Treasury. Red ticket (60 kn) includes 4 sites: The Cathedral, Crypt, Baptistery, Treasury. Purple ticket (80kn) includes all 5 sites: The Cathedral, Crypt, Baptistery, Treasury, Bell tower.
Diocletian’s Cellars
- www.visitsplit.com
- Address: Ul. Iza Vestibula 3, 21000, Split Croatia
- Hours: 0800-1000, daily
- Admission: Adults, 30KN, Students and children, 15KN, Family ticket (with children under 15 years), 90KN
