Sights in Dalmatia
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Dubrovnik City Walls
No visit to Dubrovnik would be complete without a leisurely walk around the city walls. Built between the 13th and 16th centuries and still intact today, these powerful walls are the finest in the world and Dubrovnik's main claim to fame.
The first set of walls to enclose the city were built in the 13th century. In the middle of the 14th century the 1.5m-thick walls were fortified with 15 square forts. The threat of attacks from the Turks in the 15th century prompted the city to strengthen the existing forts and add new ones so that the entire Old Town is now contained within a curtain of stone over 2km long and up to 25m high. The walls are thicker on the land side - up…
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Diocletian's Palace
Facing onto the harbour, Diocletian's Palace is one of the most imposing Roman ruins in existence. Although the original structure was modified in the Middle Ages, the alterations have only served to increase the allure of this fascinating site. Far from being a museum, the 220 buildings within the palace boundaries are home to about 3000 people. The cellars are a market for crafted jewellery, reproductions of Roman busts, silver cigarette cases, candlestick holders, wooden sailing ships, leather goods and other odds and ends.
The palace was built from lustrous white stone from the island of Brač and construction lasted 10 years. Diocletian spared no expense, importing…
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Cathedral of St Domnius
This cathedral was originally built as Diocletian's mausoleum. The original octagonal form of the mausoleum, encircled by 24 columns, has been almost completely preserved. The domed interior is round with two rows of Corinthian columns and a frieze showing Emperor Diocletian and his wife, Prisca. The Romanesque belfry was constructed between the 12th and 16th centuries and reconstructed in 1908 after it collapsed. Notice the two lion figures at the foot of the belfry and the Egyptian black-granite sphinx dating from the 15th century BC on the right wall.
The oldest monuments in the cathedral are the remarkable scenes on the wooden entrance doors from the life of Christ.…
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Gregorius of Nin Statue
An imposing statue of the 10th-century Croatian bishop who fought for the right to use old Croatian in liturgical services. Sculpted by Ivan Meštrović, this powerful work is one of the defining images of Split. Notice that his left big toe has been polished to a shine. It's said that touching it brings good luck. To the west of the statue is the well-preserved corner tower of the palace.
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Cathedral of St Lovro
The glory of the town is the three-naved Venetian Cathedral of St Lovro, built from the 13th to 15th centuries and one of the finest architectural works in Croatia. Note first the Romanesque portal (1240) by Master Radovan. The sides of the portal depict lion figures (the symbol of Venice) with Adam and Eve above them, the earliest example of the nude in Dalmatian sculpture.
The outer pilasters show saints, the centre scenes represent the calendar months and the small posts feature hunting scenes. Overhead is the Nativity of Christ. At the end of the portico is another fine piece of sculpture - the baptistry sculpted in 1464 by Andrija Aleši. Enter the building through an…
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Rector’s Palace
The Gothic-Renaissance Rector’s Palace was built in the late 15th century and is adorned with outstanding sculptural ornamentation. It retains a striking compositional unity despite being rebuilt many times. Notice the finely carved capitals and the ornate staircase in the atrium, which is often used for concerts during the Summer Festival. Also in the atrium is a statue of Miho Pracat, who bequeathed his wealth to the Republic and was the only commoner in the 1000 years of the Republic’s existence to be honoured with a statue (1638). We may assume that the bequest was considerable. The palace was built for the rector who governed Dubrovnik, and it contains the rector’s…
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Old Town
The Old Town of Trogir occupies a tiny island in the narrow channel between Čiovo island and the mainland, just off the coastal highway. Most sights can be seen on a 15-minute walk around this island. The nearest beach is 4km west at the Hotel Medena.
The heart of the Old Town is divided from the mainland by a small channel and a few minutes' walk from the bus station. After crossing the small bridge near the station, go through the North Gate. Turn left (east) at the end of the square and you'll come to Trogir's main street, Gradska. Trogir's finest sights are around Trg Ivana Pavla II, straight ahead. The seafront, Obala Bana Berislavića, is lined with bars,…
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Church of St Donat
The main places of interest are near the circular Church of St Donat , one of the most outstanding monuments in Dalmatia. Dating from the beginning of the 9th century, it was named after Bishop Donat who allegedly had it built following the style of early Byzantine architecture. The unusual circular ground plan is especially visible on the southern side because the southern annexe is missing.
The church was built over the Roman forum, which was constructed between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD. A few architectural fragments are preserved and two complete pillars are built into the church. The original floors were removed, and now slabs from the ancient forum…
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Franciscan Monastery & Museum
Over the doorway of this monastery is a remarkable pietà sculpted by the local masters Petar and Leonard Andrijić in 1498. Unfortunately, the portal is all that remains of the richly decorated church, which was destroyed in the 1667 earthquake. Inside the monastery complex is a mid-14th-century cloister, one of the most beautiful late-Romanesque structures in Dalmatia. Notice how each capital over the incredibly slim dual columns is topped by a different figure, portraying human heads, animals and floral arrangements. Also enjoyable is the small square garden that’s shaded by orange and palm trees.
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Beaches & Islands
There are coves around the Hotels Amfora and Dalmacija for swimming, but most people head to the Pakleni Islands (Pakleni Otoci), which got their name from Paklina, the resin that once coated boats and ships.
Taxi boats (30mins) leave regularly during the high season from in front of the Arsenal to the islands of Jerolim and Stipanska, which are popular naturist islands (although nudity is not mandatory), and then continue on to Ždrilica and Palmižana, the latter being a sandy beach.
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Peristyle
Peristyle is the ceremonial entrance court to the imperial quarters, measuring 35m by 13m and three steps below the level of the surrounding streets. The longer side is lined by six granite columns, linked by arches and decorated with a stone frieze. The southern side of the Peristyle is enclosed by the Protiron, which is the entrance into the imperial quarters. The square has an outdoor café and the ancient stones provide handy seats to relax and people-watch in this popular meeting place.
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Marco Polo Tower
It's said that Marco Polo was born in Korčula in 1254 and, for a small fee, you can climb the tower of the house that is supposed to have been his. A planned restoration will turn it into a museum.
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Golden Gate
The Golden Gate was once the starting point for the road to Solin. From the fragments that remain, it's possible to visualise the statues, columns and arches that once decorated the gate.
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Memorial Room of the Defenders of Dubrovnik
Also in the interior is the Memorial Room of the Defenders of Dubrovnik, a heartbreaking collection of portraits of young people who perished between 1991 and 1995.
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Franciscan Monastery & Museum
The 15th-century Franciscan monastery and museum overlooks a shady cove. The elegant bell tower was built in the 16th century by a well-known family of stonemasons from Korčula. The Renaissance cloister leads to a refectory containing lace, coins, nautical charts and valuable documents, such as an edition of Ptolemy's Atlas, printed in 1524. Your eye will immediately be struck by The Last Supper, an 8m by 2.5m work by the Venetian Matteo Ingoli dating from the end of the 16th century. The cypress in the cloister garden is said to be more than 300 years old.
The adjoining church, named Our Lady of Charity, contains more fine paintings such as the three polyptychs created…
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St Mark's Cathedral
St Mark's Sq (Trg Svetog Marka) is dominated by the magnificent St Mark's Cathedral. This 15th-century cathedral was built from Korčula limestone in a Gothic-Renaissance style by Italian and local artisans. Over the solemn portal, the triangular gable cornice is decorated with a two-tailed mermaid, an elephant, and other sculptures. The bell tower that rises from the cathedral over the town is topped by a balustrade and ornate cupola, beautifully carved by the Korčulan Marko Andrijić.
The interior of the cathedral features modern sculptures in the baptistry, including a pietà by Ivan Meštrović. The ciborium was also carved by Andrijić and behind it is the altarpiece…
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Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin
Built on the site of a 7th-century basilica that was enlarged in the 12th century, the original Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin was supposedly the result of a gift from England’s King Richard I, the Lionheart, who was saved from a shipwreck on the nearby island of Lokrum. Soon after the first cathedral was destroyed in the 1667 earthquake, work began on this new cathedral, which was finished in 1713 in a baroque style. The cathedral is notable for its fine altars, especially the altar of St John Nepomuk, made of violet marble. The cathedral treasury contains relics of St Blaise as well as 138 gold and silver reliquaries largely made in the workshops of…
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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.…
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Cathedral of St Anastasia
The Romanesque Cathedral of St Anastasia , near the Church of St Donat, was built in the 12th and 13th centuries on the site of an older church. Behind the richly decorated façade is an impressive three-nave interior marked by 13th-century wall paintings in the side apses. Notice particularly the fresco of a gateway in the southern apse, which was used as a model for the door frame of the main portal.
On the altar in the left apse is a marble sarcophagus containing the relics of St Anastasia, commissioned by Bishop Donat in the 9th century. The presbytery contains choir stalls lavishly carved by the Venetian artist Matej Morozon in the 15th century. The cathedral was…
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Sponza Palace
The 16th-century Sponza Palace was originally a customs house, then a minting house, a state treasury and a bank. Now it houses the State Archives, which contain a priceless collection of manuscripts dating back nearly a thousand years. This superb structure is a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance styles beginning with an exquisite Renaissance portico resting on six columns. The 1st floor has late-Gothic windows and the 2nd-floor windows are in a Renaissance style, with an alcove containing a statue of St Vlaho. Also inside is the Memorial Room of the Defenders of Dubrovnik, a heartbreaking collection of portraits of young people who perished between 1991 and 1995.
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Dominican Monastery & Museum
This imposing structure is a real architectural highlight, built in a transitional Gothic-Renaissance style, and has a rich trove of paintings. Constructed around the same time as the city walls in the 14th century, the stark exterior resembles a fortress more than a religious complex. The interior contains a graceful 15th-century cloister constructed by local artisans after the designs of the Florentine architect Massa di Bartolomeo, and a large, single-naved church with an altarpiece by Vlaho Bukovac. The eastern wing contains the monastery’s impressive art collection; notice the works of Nikola Božidarević, Dobrić Dobričević and Mihajlo Hamzić.
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Franciscan Monastery & Church
The Franciscan Monastery & Church a few blocks away is in better shape. Although it's the oldest Gothic church in Dalmatia - it was consecrated in 1280 - the interior has a number of Renaissance features such as a lovely chapel of St Anthony, which contains a 15th-century wooden crucifix. In the sacristy a memorial tablet commemorates the seminal event in Zadar's history - the 1358 treaty under which Venice relinquished its rights to Dalmatia in favour of the Croatian-Hungarian king, Ludovic.
The large Romanesque painted crucifix in the treasury behind the sacristy is worth seeing. The monastery is named after St Donat.
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State Archives
The 16th-century Sponza Palace houses the State Archives, which contain a priceless collection of manuscripts dating back nearly a thousand years. This superb structure is a mixture of Gothic and Renaissance styles beginning with an exquisite Renaissance portico resting on six columns. The 1st floor has late-Gothic windows and the 2nd-floor windows are in a Renaissance style, with an alcove containing a statue of St Vlaho. Also inside is the Memorial Room of the Defenders of Dubrovnik, a heartbreaking collection of portraits of young people who perished between 1991 and 1995.
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St Simeon's Church
St Simeon's Church was reconstructed in the 16th and 17th centuries on the site of an earlier church. The sarcophagus of St Simeon is a masterpiece of medieval goldsmith work. Commissioned in 1377, the coffin is made of cedar and covered inside and out with finely executed gold-plated silver reliefs. The middle relief showing Christ's presentation in the Temple is a copy of Giotto's fresco from Capella dell'Arena in Padua, Italy.
Other reliefs depict scenes from the lives of the saints and King Ludovic's visit to Zadar. The lid shows a reclining St Simeon.
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Museum of Church Art
The outstanding Museum of Church Art in the Benedictine monastery opposite the Church of St Donat offers an impressive display of reliquaries and religious paintings. Along with the goldsmiths' works in the first hall, notice the 14th-century painting of the Madonna. She features again in the second hall, where the most notable works of her are a marble sculpture and Paolo Veneziani's painting.
On the 2nd floor you'll find 15th- and 16th-century sculptures and embroidery, and six pictures by the 15th-century Venetian painter Vittore Carpaccio.
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