Split (Shovelled)

Aspalathos is the name that the Greek colonies of the island of Vis, they gave to the settlement founded between the III and the IV century B.C. In roman era, the city near to Salona gave birth to Dioclezian emperor who, between 295 and 305 A.D., made to construct just the palace in the pressed ones of the place in which he was born. When to the beginning of the ways century the Misers attacked Salona, the inhabitants, most Christian sheltered themselves in palace of Diocleziano. The palace was protected by thick walls which were two meters wide and by sixteen towers.

Split (Shovelled) View Enlarge

The mansoleum of the emperor was later on converted in to a church, while the main temple became a baptistry. The map of the palace traces that of a roman castrum.

The material for construction was carried from the island of Brac and Egypt.The Gold Door represents the main entrance to the citadel; apart from this a monumental sculpture of Ivan Meštrovic represents the bishop Gregory of Nin. When the Sea came upto the southern walls and the Bronze Door served for the operations of drainage of the ships.
The private apartments of the emperor had been destroyed during the Second World war, while the wine cellars, well conserved, host artistic exhibitions today. A corridor leads from the basements to the peristyle, a big courtyard with a colonnade at the center of the citadel.

Today it is the splendid background of theatre performances.
To east of the peristyle, the ancient mausoleum was consecrated Dome of Sv. Duje. There are circular plants inside; fregio that adorns the columns extension ritratto of the Emperor and his wife Prisca.
The precious Flagellazon of Christ is the work of Juraj Dalmatinac of Altar. Opposite to the entrance of the mausoleo, one tightened narrow lane door opens to the temple of Giove, consecrated to Sv. Ivan like baptismal nail head.

In the course of the centuries, the palace of Dioclezian transformed in a lively town; many of the ancient buildings were demolished in order to make place for the new ones. Therefore the Palace of the Pope has been converted today in a town museum showing history of spalat. The infuence of the baroque interests instead the Cindro Palace by the richely, decorated facade. In the year Public square became the true center of the city; Among the buildings those were adorned at one time, only the Obcinski Dome of the 15th century survives today, which is now turned to an Ethnographic Museum.The Porta Argentea was equipped with two imposing octagonal towers, (now destroyed), while at the foot of the Saint Domenico church, stands a colorful market every day.

Outside the ancient center there is the most ancient, Archaeological museum, now accommodates numerous pre historic and medieval remembrances particularly the sarcophagus of Fedra and Ippolito, of the late great ages.The hill of Marjan (178 meters), little distant from the center, is one of the preferred destinations of the spalatini, rich with greenery and a center in the antiquity of a roman temple dedicated to Diana.

Other destination to point out is the museale complex of the sculptor Meštrovic, student of the viennese Otto König, that accommodates all of most important works; it was the summer residence of the artist and he himself restructured this villa in the 17th Century along with a church.

Not far away from Spalat, is Salona, an ancient roman town founded in the 78 B.C. Today it is an archaeological site of great interest. Beyond the numerous temples and seven thermal baths, it possesses a great amphitheater. To the center of the division of Diocleziano between empire of the West and empire of the east, Salona acquired great commercial importance. Center of the Christianity of the antiquity, the town conserves numerous basilicas and a paleo christian metropolis.