Discovering historic Split
There is something rather special about exploring a city where layers of history are exposed. The story of the past is laid bare, no longer dry words but a series of visual clues to how things once were here. Past and present seem to coexist, and the lives of those earlier inhabitants are revealed as not so very different to our own.
I found Sofia fascinating for that reason when I visited a few years ago, and Split held the same appeal for me. Founded by the ancient Greeks, it rose to prominence in AD293 when the Roman Emperor Diocletian (who had been born in Dalmatia) chose it as the perfect spot for his opulent villa / military base. Its coastal location near the then-capital, Salona, made it a perfect imperial ‘holiday home’! Just ten years later he abdicated and retired to his palace by the sea. The ruins of that palace still remain, in part buried beneath later buildings but elsewhere exposed.
Today there are 220 buildings within the former palace’s footprint, and about 3000 people live here. The narrow streets conceal passageways and courtyards, some quiet and seemingly undiscovered, others buzzing with the conversation of tourists and alive with music emanating from bars and cafés. The locals still hang their washing out overhead, as is the Italian custom. Children play, kicking footballs against the ancient walls or running between fragments of the palace ruins. Life goes on here, it is no museum piece.
I spent four nights in Split with some of my Virtual Tourist friends. In addition to a fairly in-depth exploration of the old city on the first day, we also had several shorter walks in various parts. The Monday Walk described below is based on that first day but with a few detours taken from those later strolls.
The People’s Square
We’ll start in one of my favourite spots in the city, Narodni trg, the ‘People’s Square’. The 15th century Town Hall (now a museum) stands on its north side, next to the Renaissance Palača Karepic. On the south east corner is another Renaissance gem, the Palača Ciprianis Benedetti. There are also some bars and restaurants with tables on the square, which we may come back to later. As in similar places all over Europe you pay a premium to sit and drink here. But the setting and people-watching opportunities make it worth every extra cent in my opinion!
Palača Karepic on the left and Palača Ciprianis Benedetti on the right
Heading east from Narodni trg we pass under the Iron Gate, one of four that guarded the heart of ancient Split where Diocletian’s Palace lay. The original, Roman name was Porta Occidentalis, the Western Gate.
The Iron Gate
The narrow street brings us to the small square in front of the cathedral, once the courtyard at the heart of Diocletian’s Palace, the Peristil. It is busy with tourists taking photos, a few walking tour groups (perhaps from visiting cruise ships), and a couple of Roman legionaries. Of course these are locals whom I later learn are employed by the tourist board to pose for photos. To our right a tunnel leads down to the waterfront through the Bronze Gate. We will follow it later …
St Domnius Cathedral
Meanwhile, our attention turns to the cathedral. This is dedicated to Saint Domnius, the patron saint of the city. He was a Bishop of Salona (today’s Solin) around the year 300 and was martyred in the persecutions of the Emperor Diocletian. The old Roman columns at the entrance are our first clue to the building’s original purpose. It was once the emperor’s mausoleum.
Details from the cathedral entrance
According to Wikipedia:
The Cathedral of Saint Domnius, consecrated at the turn of the 7th century AD, is regarded as the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world that remains in use in its original structure, without near-complete renovation at a later date (though the bell tower dates from the 12th century). The structure itself, built in AD 305 as the Mausoleum of Diocletian, is the second oldest structure used by any Christian Cathedral.
The doors are particularly noteworthy. They were carved by the medieval Croatian sculptor Andrija Buvina around 1214 and contain fourteen scenes from the life of Christ.
The Flight into Egypt and the Last Supper
Inside are several ancient, and some newer, altars. Two are dedicated to St Domnius, one dating from 1427 and a later one from 1770.
Altars to St Domnius, old and newer
Another old one (1448) is that of St Anastasius, who is depicted with a millstone tied around his neck symbolising his death (Diocletian had him drowned).
The main altar dates from the 17th century and is in the Baroque style with polychrome marble. It is no doubt impressive but I preferred the worn carvings of the older ones.
Altar of St Anastasius on the left and main altar on the right
We must walk outside and back in again to reach the choir behind the main altar. Wikipedia describes this as a 17th century addition to the original mausoleum. But rather confusingly the leaflet we were given with our tickets dates the carvings on the choir stalls to the 13th century. I was thrilled to find a tiny elephant among the decorations!
Beneath the cathedral is the crypt of St Lucy, empty apart from a small statue of the saint.
Crypt of St Lucy: entrance carving detail and saint inside
The Baptistry
Exiting the cathedral and crossing the Peristil we follow a narrow lane opposite to the Baptistry, stopping off for cold drinks on the way in a quiet courtyard. One of the appeals of Split is the possibility to find these tranquil corners just metres away from a street thronged with people.
But now on to the Baptistry. This is in the former Temple to Jupiter which was converted to Christian use in the Middle Ages. The original Roman carvings around the entrance and on the ceiling remain. In addition to some ancient sarcophagi it has an impressive modern (1960) bronze sculpture of John the Baptist, the work of a Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović.
Taking a break
By now our thoughts turn to lunch. My friends and I found a lovely restaurant with shady seating outside in another pretty courtyard. We all had salads and sat for quite a while chatting over our meal.
As a change from all that history we decided to head down to the water. We follow that tunnel from the Peristil which leads through the ancient palace basements, to emerge into the light of the waterfront known as the Riva. The Bronze Gate once opened straight from the water into these basements, so goods could be unloaded and stored.
A stroll by the water’s edge makes a change from the narrow streets of the palace area. And one of Split’s many gelateria is conveniently placed nearby, so ice creams for dessert are surely a must before returning to sightseeing?
The Treasury
Heading back to the centre we visit the final site on our tickets, the Treasury, which has some beautiful old religious paintings, reliquaries etc.
The palace ruins
To the east we can stroll through some of the ruins of Diocletian’s Palace. There are layers of building history, exposed mosaics and in one corner an artist is at work. Again, only five minutes’ walk from the crowds in the Peristil, this part of town is almost deserted!
The Golden Gate
We could return to our apartment the way we came, via Narodni trg (and in truth on this first day we did so). But I want to take you on a slightly different route to exit the palace via the Golden Gate. To get there from the Peristil we follow what was once one of the two main Roman roads through the city, Dioklecijanova. There are more ancient houses to admire and little details to photograph.
The 4th century AD Porta Aurea or Golden Gate was the biggest and grandest of the four gates, the main processional entrance into Diocletian’s Palace. On the outside are worn carvings of heads, half-man, half-animal (sheep?)
Golden Gate details
Just outside this gate stands one of the city’s most visited sights, the Monument to Gregory of Nin. Legend says that rubbing his toe will bring good luck. You can see how shiny it has become from so much rubbing over the years. Clearly everyone is looking for a bit of good luck!
Gregory of Nin, with my friend Josephine rubbing his toe for luck!
And by this statue is a good place to finish our walk, after we too have rubbed his toe of course. I hope you’ve enjoyed the stroll, even though you may already have seen some of these photos in previous posts!
I visited Split in May 2024
29 Comments
Anonymous
I visited Split some years ago and stayed right around the corner from the historic district. Enjoyed walking through there again with you!
Toonsarah
Glad to have brought back good memories for you 🙂
grandmisadventures
Beautiful stroll through a beautiful city. I really love all the detail in places big and small. I think I would love Split and wandering through those lovely streets for days 🙂
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Meg 🙂 I’m sure you would indeed love Split!
thehungrytravellers.blog
Yes, we loved Split too, Sarah. Those tiny streets are a joy to wander, it really is one of those places where getting yourself lost in the labyrinth brings its own pleasures and surprises. We got stuck in a lift there too, but that’s another story…😊
Toonsarah
Thank you Phil 🙂 I certainly agree about the getting lost thing. We spent plenty of time just wandering around and then emerging somewhere recognisable and realising just where we were! No lifts however …!
bushboy
Thanks for reviving memories of Split Sarah. Not far from Gregory of Nin I found a small cafe that made the best hamburger I have ever had
Toonsarah
Happy to have brought back good memories for you Brian 🙂
Enej Bajgorić
Split is a beautiful place! May is the perfect time to visit since it get pretty hot there during the summer months!
Toonsarah
Thank you for taking the time to comment and for the help in trying to sort out my issues with WP 🙂
Egídio
Such rich details in your photos. Beautiful!
Toonsarah
Thank you Egidio 🙂
Monkey's Tale
I love all of the details that you’ve pointed out here Sarah – the doors, the choir pews, the sheep/man over the gates. It looks like a living history museum. Maggie
Toonsarah
Thank you Maggie, that’s exactly what it is I reckon 😀
Easymalc
I can see why you chose this for one of Jo’s Monday Walks Sarah. It offers so much in so many ways. Great images as always.
Toonsarah
Thank you Malcolm 🙂 Split is a perfect walking city and in fact it would be impossible to explore any other way!
Anna
Ahh this takes me back! Ive been 3 times to Split and will still never tire of it! Btw my mother comes from Nin where the mighty Grgur (Gregory) is from.
Toonsarah
I’m happy to have given you some good memories of Split, Anna 😀 I really liked it and would happily go back one day!
Sue
Ooooooh, so much history, wonderful streets with fantastic details, plenty of the past still evident
Toonsarah
Yes, loads of history and beautiful buildings – I loved it there!
margaret21
Though it’s quite different, there’s something about your post that reminds me of Thessaloniki. That too is a marvellous melting pot of eras and cultures that combine to make any walk a fascinating time-travel experience. I love that tantalising little stained glass widow!
Toonsarah
Thank you Margaret 🙂 We’ve never been to Thessaloniki, it sounds interesting! That stained glass window was indeed tantalising – it belongs to what is said to be the smallest church in the city, more like a chapel tucked into the old walls. It’s supposed to be fascinating to visit but the door was firmly locked when we tried so this was all we could see of it!
margaret21
Oh, what a shame that you couldn’t see the tiny church! Much of Thessaliniki was burnt down in a huge fire in 1919 apparently, so parts of the central area are … uninteresting. But there’s still so much to see and enjoy. And Street Photographer Sarah would have a whale of a time!
restlessjo
It looks a fabulous place, Sarah, and one I always wanted to visit for the proximity of the islands Hvar and Korcula. I was put off by the cruise ships and the busyness, but they do have a limited interest and amount of time so, as you point out, it’s not too hard to avoid them. I’m seriously tempted. Thanks for the tour and some wonderful photos.
Toonsarah
I felt the cruise ships were too much in Kotor but being larger Split can absorb the crowds to some extent and in the evenings it’s perfect as they all go back to the ships to eat and drink! I suspect at the height of summer it may be too much, but in late May I found it lovely 🙂
restlessjo
🤗💙
Teresa
This is a magnificent place that I would have loved to visit. I particularly love the details of the church carvings. I also love the covered up windows. Thanks for sharing Sarah.
Toonsarah
Thank you Teresa – I think you would indeed love Split 🙂
Teresa
Looks like it ❤️