Cultural dynamics on Central Dalmatian Islands through Antiquity
There were (and remain) 4 gates into the city: the Gold Gate, Silver, Iron and Bronze. The shore has receded since Roman times, and a wide boulevard with restaurants and shops is now where the sea used to meet the palace.
The vaulted ceiling of the rooms under the palace were originally gilded. Holes were opened in the ceiling allowed for convenient disposal of human waste and other garbage.
Eventually these holes were filled, and the rooms forgotten until excavation begin after World War II. Consequently, the basement is the best preserved part of the palace.
This room hasn’t been excavated yet.
A quartet was singing in the vestibule, taking advantage of its wonderful acoustics.
The Peristil, or main square, is flanked by the Cathedral of St. Domnius and the vestibule.
The cathedral was built as Diocletian’s mausoleum, but in a fit of pique common to all conquering religions, his sarcophagus and body were dumped into the sea by conquering Christians in the 5th century. (I should mention that he persecuted Christians - the last Roman emperor to do so. The church is dedicated to one of his victims.) The building was converted to a church, with an elaborate Baroque altar. A bell tower was added in the late 11th century.
The Gold Gate, opposite the Bronze Gate, was the emperor’s gate.
(Pretty sure this centurion was not using original materials.)
Palace wall outside the Gold Gate. Stones were pillaged over the centuries and incorporated into other structures.
We had lunch outside of the Palace complex in a restaurant on Republic Square, which is modeled after Saint Mark’s Square in Venice. After an afternoon of free time to explore, we headed back to the hotel to pack up for tomorrow’s adventure.
Since antiquity, the Dalmatian Coast was influenced most by what came across the water (abutted by mountains on the other side).
- rather than separating Italy and Croatia, an Adriatic island bridge connected the two
- at end of maximal glacial age (16,000BC) the Adriatic was much smaller, with only two main islands separating the Dalmatian Coast from Italy
- for early (rowed) boats, maximum daily distance was about 40 miles. This was the distance to the island of Palagruža - stepping stone of Adriatic
- confirmed by spread of Neolithic pottery techniques spreading from eastern Adriatic to the Dalmatian coast within 500 years. (would have taken much longer if knowledge had spread by land
- during the Copper Age, knowledge spread in the opposite direction, around 3500-2500 BCE
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We are staying in Salin (Salona), which is was the capital of the Roman Dalmatia. We’re not seeing any of the archeological sites in Salin, but there are remains of an amphitheater and other city structures here. The impact of the Roman settlement carries into the city design even today, as the bus routes overlay the original grid of Roman streets and paths.
We headed into Split for a walking tour with our local guide, Tina. On the way into Split, she explained that the most important thing in Split is football (soccer) Then gossip. Then tennis.
We passed the aqueduct that carried water from Jadro Spring to our main destination, Diocletian’s Palace.
Split is the site of Diocletian’s Palace, one of the most important remaining Roman structures and a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1979. A legionnaire born of low birth in Salin, Diocletian rose through the ranks to become the Roman emperor. Upon the death of Emperor Carus in 284, Diocletian was proclaimed emperor by the troops. He appointed a co-emperor a few years later, then appointed their sons-in-law to co-rule as a Tetrarchy. He was the only Roman emporter to abdicate voluntarily, electing to retire to the palace he’d built on the Dalmatian Coast. This vast palace, essentially his retirement resort, eventually became the core of the current city of Split.
The Palace was built in 10 years. It’s the best preserved maritime villa from antiquity anywhere in the Mediterranean. It remains the heart of the city of Split. It was built as a fortress, an imperial residence and a town. It has red-tiled roofs; some of the original tiles are still in use today. It’s been added to over the centuries, and is now roughly 700 ft by 600 ft. It contains shops and Airbnbs, chocolatiers and cafes, 220 buildings and about as many residents.
There were (and remain) 4 gates into the city: the Gold Gate, Silver, Iron and Bronze. The shore has receded since Roman times, and a wide boulevard with restaurants and shops is now where the sea used to meet the palace.
Historically, the Bronze Gate opened directly to the water, offering an easy way to offload goods and supplies beneath the palace - and also providing an escape route, should it be needed. Today there is a boulevard through this substructure.
The vaulted ceiling of the rooms under the palace were originally gilded. Holes were opened in the ceiling allowed for convenient disposal of human waste and other garbage.
Eventually these holes were filled, and the rooms forgotten until excavation begin after World War II. Consequently, the basement is the best preserved part of the palace.
This room hasn’t been excavated yet.
The construction was amazing. To build the barrel vaults, beams were placed across the room into the recessed holes in the walls, and a lattice structure built to support construction of the vault. Lintels over the doors were capped by rocks carved to absorb earthquake flexion.
Climbing to the main floor, the vestibule was the room one entered to reach the emperor’s quarters. The room was capped by a golden dome, now long gone.
A quartet was singing in the vestibule, taking advantage of its wonderful acoustics.
The Peristil, or main square, is flanked by the Cathedral of St. Domnius and the vestibule.
The cathedral was built as Diocletian’s mausoleum, but in a fit of pique common to all conquering religions, his sarcophagus and body were dumped into the sea by conquering Christians in the 5th century. (I should mention that he persecuted Christians - the last Roman emperor to do so. The church is dedicated to one of his victims.) The building was converted to a church, with an elaborate Baroque altar. A bell tower was added in the late 11th century.
The octagonal cathedral is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman structures in existence.
Tina explained that UNESCO regulations allow property owners to pretty much do what they want inside their private property, but the exteriors must comply with original design and materials. It’s so picturesque - hard to know where to look.
(Maybe a stretch on original design and materials?)
The Gold Gate, opposite the Bronze Gate, was the emperor’s gate.
(Pretty sure this centurion was not using original materials.)
Palace wall outside the Gold Gate. Stones were pillaged over the centuries and incorporated into other structures.
We had lunch outside of the Palace complex in a restaurant on Republic Square, which is modeled after Saint Mark’s Square in Venice. After an afternoon of free time to explore, we headed back to the hotel to pack up for tomorrow’s adventure.
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