Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 165

Kalumela , at Domaldova 7 ( & 021/348-132 ), can supply organic whole-grain
sandwiches and pastries as well as the usual health-food-store staples.
EXPLORING SPLIT
Diocletian's Palace is Split's marquee attraction, and the Riva outside its walls is one
of Croatia's busiest promenades.
The Cathedral of St. Domnius , at Kraj Sv. Duje 5 ( & 021/342-589;
admission 5kn/$1/55p), was also Diocletian's mausoleum, an elaborate domed struc-
ture that Christians converted to a church in the 7th century. The original stone struc-
ture was framed by 28 granite and marble columns that Diocletian supposedly looted
from Greek and Egyptian temples during one of his campaigns. Because of its prox-
imity to the Silver Gate , the cathedral is a popular meeting place and its courtyard is
the site of performances during Split's Summer Festival in July and August.
The cathedral treasury above the sacristy contains a valuable cache of gold and
silver in the treasury. From there you can climb the bell tower for 10kn
($1.75/95p) from 8am to 8pm in summer and whenever it is open in winter.
Narodni Trg (People's Square) is west along Kre s imirova (formerly the
Decumanus) through the Silver Gate. On the north side of the square you'll see the
Town Hall, now home to the Ethno-
graphic Museum. West of Narodni Trg
you'll find the indoor fish market ( Ri-
barnica; Kraj Sv. Marije; 7am-1pm
Mon-Sat; 7-11am Sun). You'll smell it
before you see it. Continue west to Mar-
montova Street , a brick-paved pedes-
trian thoroughfare that forms Old
Town's western border. Here you will
find international retail outlets (Tommy
Hilfiger, Benetton) and a set of McDon-
ald's golden arches. Just south of the
walls along Marmontova you'll run into
the Bellevue Hotel and the Prokurative, a horseshoe-shaped set of neoclassical gov-
ernment buildings on Trg Republike.
Bra 5 e Radi 5 Trg (Vo 5 ni Trg or Fruit Square) is smaller than Narodni Trgand
and dominated by Ivan Me s trovi 5 's sculpture of author Marko Maruli 5 , who wrote
“Judita,” the first narrative poem in Croatian. Maruli 5 (1450-1524) is revered as the
father of Croatian literature and his statue shows him with—what else?—a book.
Away from the center, the Me s trovi 5 Gallery at S etali s te Ivana Me s trovi 5 a
46, Marjan ( & 021/358-450 ) was built as a home/atelier for Croatian sculptor Ivan
Me s trovi 5 and his family. Traveling exhibitions from Croatia and other locations are
periodically on display here. Walk up the road to S etali s te Ivana Me s trovi 5 a 39 to visit
the 16th-century Ka s telet, a summer house purchased and remodeled by Me s trovi 5
in 1939 as a showcase for his “Life of Christ” reliefs. There is no charge to enter
Ka s telet if you have a ticket to the main gallery.
From mid-July to mid-August, the Split Summer Festival takes place at
Croatian National Theater, in the Peristil, at other Old Town squares, and at other
venues. Contact the Croatian National Theater at Gaje Bulata 1 ( & 021/585-999 )
for information and tickets.

Mining Silver
The Silver Gate (Srebrena Vrata),
which leads inside from the Pazar
market on the palace's eastern side,
is a relatively new site in Split's Old
Town. For centuries the gate was
hidden behind a drab brick wall; it
was discovered and excavated just a
little over 50 years ago in the 1950s.

Fun Fact