The historical charm and modern vibrancy of Split
Saturday 15 June
Our last day in Croatia today. We had had a quick look around the Old Town Centre on Thursday night when Joe was with us, and today we want to discover it a little bit more. The nearest of the Four Gates (gold, silver, bronze and iron) into the Old Town from our Air BnB is via the Golden Gate which is also where the statue of Gregory of Nin, a Croatian Catholic who served as the medieval Bishop of Nin is located. He strongly opposed the Pope and introduced the Croatian language into religious services after the Great Assembly of 926, as until that time the services were only held in Latin. The statue is 8.5 metres tall and rubbing his toe is said to bring good luck, the toe has been worn smooth and shiny as a result – a bit like the golden nose of the statue of the playwright Marin Držić we saw in Dubrovnik!
The Diocletian Palace was built for the Roman Emperor Diocletian at the end of the third century AD and today forms about half of the old town of Split. So while it is referred to as a “palace” because of its intended use as the residence of Diocletian, the term is misleading as the structure is so massive, it resembles a large fortress. Half of it was for Diocletian’s personal use upon his retirement on 1 May 305 AD, and the rest housed the military garrison. The complex was modelled on Roman forts of the 3rd Century and housed within its walls are many notable buildings such as museums, the City Clock and Bell Tower, the Temple of Jupiter, The Roman Mausoleum, The Treasury of Split Cathedral, the Peristyle – the central square, St Martin’s Church and the Cathedral of St Dominus, consecrated at the turn of the 7th Century AD, and regarded as the oldest Catholic cathedral in the world that remains in use in its original structure, and it is dedicated to the patron saint of Split.
As you can see from the photos , we had a bit of a look around the old walled palace on Thursday night (including a few photos of us larking around with two guys dressed as Roman legionaries) and today we were able to admire and soak up some of the history at leisure, although I must say it was 34 degrees and when we stood in People’s Square I could hardly see, it was blinding with the glare of the glistening white marble paving stones and buildings of white local limestone. In November 1979 UNESCO adopted a proposal that the historic city of Split built around the Palace should be included in the register of World Cultural Heritage.
The Pirja Fountain also known as Figa i Pirija, is a remarkable symbolist fountain located on Marmontova Street and holds significant historical and artistic value as it stands as the only monument constructed during the challenging period of the 1990’s, marked by economic stagnation and depression in Croatia. Designed by Croatian sculptor, Kažimir Hraste, the central feature of the fountain is the pouring of water from the hand into a funnel, this element is to represent the dynamic movement of the city, emphasising the continuous flow of life and progress, even in challenging times. It’s an amazing sculpture and looks even better at night when the water pours out in different colours.
A welcome cup of coffee and rest on the Splitska Riva – the waterfront promenade - people-watching and admiring the boats and pretty gardens, and then a walk through the Green Market which sells everything from flowers, fruit and vegetables, pastries, honey, cheese, bread and olive oils – an absolute riot of colour!
It’s a big day in Croatia today – the UEFA Euro Football tournament kicked off last night and Croatia are playing Spain at 6pm tonight. The city is ablaze with Croatia’s red and white checkered shirts, scarves and hats and there’s plenty of young males striding around in their national team colours. We had our final traditional Dalmation dinner tonight, sitting at a table on the outside terrace next to the Golden Gate, the soccer was on and finished whilst we were dining. Sadly, Croatia lost 3 – 0 to Spain and talk about it’s all over rover, we did not see one soccer fan on our return home – they must have all slunk off quietly to bed in dismay.
Sunday 16 June
It was up early for us this morning, we had an early flight back to London Gatwick and had to be at the airport by 8.00am. It’s been a fabulous week, firstly because I spent it with my two sisters whom I don’t see often enough, and secondly, because we have had a wonderful time in this beautiful country enjoying the history, the culture, the friendly people, the cuisine, the colours and the beautiful weather – and as if to say thank you to us, we were rewarded with one last stunning view of Split as we took off on our flight to London.
