What an absolutely beautiful city on the Adriatic Sea! For the most part, the sun was shining and beautiful with some rain a few times an hour. Lasted about 20 minutes then back to sunshine!
When we stepped off the ship the wind almost knocked me over and so cold. I was like, let’s go back! But, we decided to see what it was like away from the port. A smart choice! After running through some rain we finally made it to an area of cover to wait out and it didnt take too long.
The city of Split was founded in the 4th century AD by the Roman emperor Diocletian. Diocletian’s Palace is one of the best-preserved Roman palaces in the world and it’s what we came to see.
Our first stop we were looking for was the Golden gate. We figured out that we were docked on the other side of this gate so we wandered around to other areas of interest until we found it along the route.
The Golden Gate is the main entrance to Diocletian’s Palace. It was built in the 4th century AD and is one of the most impressive gates in the palace. The gate is decorated with marble columns and statues.
Right out front of the golden gate was what I originally thought was a wizard. Interesting since we just left Dubrovnik and the Game of Thrones territory so I naturally assumed this was too. Not so, it was Gregory of Nin. I couldnt resist adding this great story about him below.
Gregory of Nin was a medieval bishop who lived in Croatia from the 9th to the 10th centuries. He is best known for his role in introducing the Croatian language into religious services, and for his defiance of the Pope. He felt very strongly about the Croatian language and preached his sermons in front of the cathedral. This angered the Pope who wanted the sermons preached in Latin, so he excommunicated Gregory. Undeterred, he eventually won the support of the Croatian king. In 928, the king issued a decree that all religious services in Croatia must be held in Croatian. Yeah Gregory!
A fun fact in regards to Gregory of Nin is his big toe! Croatians are taught from an early age that rubbing Gregory’s big toe will grant them their wish, and he has been credited with births, weddings, and riches. It’s been rubbed so much over the years that it turned golden. The rest of the statue is bronze.
Walking through the gates we entered into the Diocletian’s Palace. Inside the palace we found several points of interest. First was the Peristyle. Here is where we first sought refuge from the rain. It is a large square surrounded by columns and it was the center of public life in the Palace. It is still used for concerts and other events today. It was truly beautiful and impressive.
Right at the square is the Cathedral of Saint Domnius. A 7th-century cathedral that was built on the site of Diocletian’s mausoleum. It is the largest cathedral in Croatia and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a beautiful example of Roman architecture.
Leading to the northern wall of Diocletian’s Palace is the Iron Gate. It is a small gate named for the iron grille that was once used to protect the gate.
And then we saw Jupiter’s Temple. You must pay to get in but the sweet young girl let me take a couple of photos as long as I stayed at the door. It was a small space so was very easy.
The Temple of Jupiter is a temple that was dedicated to the Ancient Roman god Jupiter. Diocletian believed he was the reincarnation of Jupiter, who was highly worshipped until the Roman Empire was taken over by Christian rule. It was built between 295 and 305, during the construction of the Palace, and was probably turned into a Baptistery of St. John the Baptist in the 6th century
Within the temple is a a statue of John the Baptist created by Ivan Mestrovic in 1953, at the request of the Archbishop and Metropolitan of Split
A very historical walk around the beautiful city of Split. Even with the rain it was a nice day.
Tomorrow we head to Koper Slovenia. How exciting!
May God bless you always!
Chuck and Lea Ann
WorldTravelReynolds 