Arsenal

On the southern side of the main square, Trg Svetog Stjepana, is the Arsenal, which was built in 1611 to replace a previous building destroyed by the Ottomans. Mentioned in Venetian documents as 'the most beautiful and the most useful building in the whole of Dalmatia', the Arsenal once served as a repair and refitting station for war galleons.

The northern side of the building was used to store food, and in 1612 a Renaissance theatre was built that is reported to be the first theatre in Europe open to plebeians and aristocrats alike. The theatre remained a regional cultural centre throughout the centuries, and plays were still staged here for small audiences only. Finally, in 2008, the old building was too unstable to support crowds and was being thoroughly refurbished at the time of research.