Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
is displayed in a gorgeously renovated early-medieval palace (parts of which once formed
the private residential halls of Diocletian). You'll find it in the upper level of the Old Town,
behind Diocletian's entry vestibule. Check out the artsy “golden fleece” entry door. The
groundfloorsportstheremainsofaseventh-centurychurch,andtheexhibitsusuallyinclude
agoodlookattraditional folkdress.Yourticket alsoincludes access totheroofofthevesti-
bule (find the stairs at the far end of the museum); while it's not high enough to be thrilling,
and you can't actually see down into the vestibule, it provides a nice view over the rooftops
of Split.
Cost and Hours:
15kn,goodEnglishexplanations;June-SeptMon-Sat9:30-19:00,Sun
10:00-13:00; Oct-May Mon-Fri 9:00-16:00, Sat 9:00-13:00, closed Sun; Severova 7, tel.
021/344-164,
www.etnografski-muzej-split.hr
.
This museum traces how the city grew over the centuries. It's a bit dull, but it can help you
appreciate a little better the layers of history you're seeing in the streets. The ground floor
displays Roman fragments (including coins from the days of Diocletian), temporary exhib-
its, a model of the Peristyle during Diocletian's time, and the museum's highlight: a semi-
circular marble table (called a “mensa”) used by the Romans. As depicted in Hollywood
movies,theRomansatelyingdown(multiplepeoplewouldloungeandfeast,whileservants
dished things up from the straight side). This table has been painstakingly reconstructed
fromshardsandsplintersdiscoveredinthecellars.TheupstairsfocusesontheMiddleAges
(findtheterrace displaying carved stonemonuments), andthetopfloorcoversthe16thcen-
tury to the present.
The 15th-century Papali
ć
Palace, which houses the City Museum, is a sight all its own.
At the end of the palace, near Cardo street, look up to see several typical Venetian-style
Gothic-Renaissance windows. The stone posts sticking out of the wall next to them were
used to hang curtains.
Cost and Hours:
20 kn, some English descriptions, 40-kn guidebook is overkill; April-
Oct Tue-Fri 9:00-21:00, Sat-Mon 9:00-16:00; Nov-March generally Tue-Fri 9:00-17:00,
Emanuel Vidović Gallery
This small but intriguing museum celebrates the work of Split native Emanuel Vidovi
ć
(1870-1953), who gained fame as a Post-Impressionist painter. On the first floor is a re-
construction of his cluttered studio; notice the creepy dolls' heads. Elsewhere on the first
floor—and upstairs—hang many of his works: hazy, Turner-esque landscapes; church in-
teriors; shimmering street and village scenes from Split and around Dalmatia; and paintings
