622_Split

							Croatia's Past Lives on in Modern-Day Split
While most of Croatia's coastal towns seem tailor-made for tourism,
Split is real and vibrant. Lounging alongside the Adriatic Sea on the
famed Dalmatian Coast, Split is Croatia’s second-largest city (after
capital Zagreb), making it a bustling metropolis, serious port city,
major transit hub, and top sightseeing destination, all rolled into
one.
   Split has all the trappings of a modern city. But a close look at
the surviving facade of the Roman palace fronting its harbor reveals
its ancient roots. In the fourth century A.D., when the Roman Emperor
Diocletian retired, he built a vast residence for his golden years
here in his native Dalmatia. When Rome fell, the palace was abandoned.
Eventually, a medieval town sprouted from its abandoned shell. And, to
this day, the maze of narrow alleys--literally Diocletian's hallways
at one point in time--makes up the core of Split. Today's residents
are actually living in a Roman emperor's palace.
   Back in its heyday, the harborfront was Diocletian's back door.
There was no embankment in front of the palace, so the water came
right up to the door--sort of an emergency exit by boat. Just inside
this gate, visitors can explore a labyrinth of cellars that once
supported the palace. Rediscovered only in the last century, the
cellars enabled archaeologists to derive the floor plan of some of the
palace’s long-gone upper sections.
   From the cellars, a grand underground hallway, now used as a
shopping arcade, leads outside to the Peristyle (Split's main square)
and Diocletian's vestibule, the dramatically domed entryway to the
emperor's private rooms. These days, this grand space is often home to
an all-male band of a cappella singers performing "klapa"--the
quintessential Dalmatian folk music. These songs of seafaring life, of
loves lost and loves found, stir the souls of Croatians and visitors
alike.
   Overlooking the Peristyle, Diocletian's mausoleum once dominated the
center of the palace complex. Much of the original Roman building
survives, including the impressive dome, columns and capitals, and
fine carved reliefs. Diocletian was notorious for persecuting
Christians. But a thousand years ago, his mausoleum was converted into
the Cathedral of St. Dominus. And so, ironically, what Diocletian
built to glorify his memory is used instead to remember his victims.
   A few steps away is a temple dedicated to Jupiter. Roman emperors
often made themselves a god. Diocletian was Jovius, son of the top
god, Jupiter. People kissed his robe; he was like a deity on earth.
About the time the mausoleum became a cathedral, the temple was
converted into a baptistery, housing a huge 12th-century baptismal
font large enough to immerse someone (as was the tradition in those
days).
   Just outside the Old Town is a museum dedicated to Ivan Mestrovic,
Croatia’s answer to Rodin. Mestrovic’s sculptures, which depict
biblical, mythological, political, and everyday themes, are everywhere
in Croatia--in the streets, squares, and museums. His work also
appears in the United States--for example, he sculpted a pair of giant
Native American warriors on horseback in Chicago’s Grant Park.
   The museum's highlights include the quietly poignant "Roman Pietà,"
in which Mestrovic follows the classical pyramid form, with Joseph of
Arimathea, Mary, and Mary Magdalene surrounding the limp body of
Christ (he also did a marble version of this for the campus of Notre
Dame in Indiana). The sculpture "Job"--howling with an agony verging
on insanity--was carved by the artist in exile, as his country was
turned upside-down by World War II. Mestrovic sketched his inspiration
for this piece while he was imprisoned by the Ustase, Croatia's Nazi
puppet government.
   After diving into the city's ancient and artistic past, I enjoy
dipping into modern-day Split. Matejuska has long been Split’s working
fishermen’s harbor. While the area has received a facelift, it still
retains its striped-collar character. The enclosed harbor area is
filled with working fishing boats and colorful dinghies that bob in
unison. At the opposite end of town, the lively open-air Green Market
is where residents shop for produce and clothes.
   The Marjan Peninsula, a huge, hilly, and relatively undeveloped spit
of parkland, located right next to Split's Old Town, feels like a
chunk of wilderness, a stone's throw from the big city. With out-of-
the-way beaches and miles of hiking and biking trails, this is where
residents go to relax.
   At the end of the day, a highlight for me is simply people-watching.
The sea of Croatian humanity laps at the walls of Diocletian's Palace
along the pedestrian promenade or Riva. As on similar promenades
throughout the Mediterranean world, cars have made way for people.
Strolling locals finish their days in good style here--just enjoying
life's simple pleasures in a city that so seamlessly weaves its past
and present.

[622_SplitTower.jpg] The 200-foot-tall cathedral bell tower rises
above Split's Old Town. Climbing the 183 steep steps to the top
rewards you with sweeping views of the city. (Photo credit: Cameron
Hewitt)

[622_SplitPeristyle.jpg] Diocletian's former entry hall is now Split's
main square, the Peristyle. Here Roman ruins and the cathedral coexist
with shops, coffee-sipping Croatians, and bars blasting live music at
night, when the smooth marble tiles turn into a dance floor. (Photo
credit: Cameron Hewitt)

Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European travel guidebooks and
hosts travel shows on public television and public radio. Email him at
rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.