World Travel Croatia Travel Guide Shepherd Entertainment takes you on a tour of Split, which is the second biggest city of Croatiaa and a cultural, tourist, commercial and industrial center. Split is a cultural, tourist, commercial and industrial center, the second biggest city of Croatia. Its central location, mild climate and unique cultural treasures are a great attraction. The most famous monument of Split is the Diocletian's Palace which is on the world heritage list of UNESCO. This city was of no importance during Greek and Roman times, probably it would have remained so if the native Diocletian who rose from soldier to emperor had not chosen the city as the site for his palace. The promenade, the railway station and the bus station are all situated next to each other at the beginning of the seaside alley of palms. This is the central part of the city where the palace which was built of white stone from Brock island, Italian and Greek marble hides behind 66 foot high town walls not far from here. When the 430 square foot group of palaces was erected neither the town walls nor the houses attached to it existed. Not even the harbor promenade was there which was the result of a refill later. The way to the arched cellar through the bronze gate between the lane of art galleries and little shops used to be the sea gate of the palace, the place where the emperor embarked on this galley. There was a gate on every wall of the palace. These were linked by two main roads, Carto and Decumanos crossing each other. The tower of St. Domnius Cathedral surpasses the walls of the palace. Its entrance was once guarded by two black granite sphinxes brought from Egypt. Today, only one of them is there. The other one is next to the temple of Jupiter and of course on the trade sign of the neighboring terraced café. But he has seen still something better. He saw how the Christian church became a Roman mausoleum and how the Venetian palaces were born of ancient marble and old gravestones. This way, it's no wonder that the sphinx smiles a bit skeptically at the epigraphs of Christian cultures and civilizations. The octagonal mausoleum of Diocletian that the emperor designated as his final resting place stands to the right of the church. The revengeful archbishops however removed the sarcophagus of the faithless emperor. The six storey bell tower was built for centuries and thus reflects different architectural styles from Roman to Renaissance in each level. After centuries, Napoleon was intent on making Split Spalato at that time, the seat of the province -- and appointed -- as its governor. After the fall of Napoleon, it became part of Austria then Yugoslavia. Between the two world wars because Fiuma was attached to Italy, Split became the biggest and fasted developing harbor of the country. You just walk slowly pondering the zigzag streets paved with heavy stones inherited from ancient times and watch the extravaganza of houses all in a heap built among crumbling gray walls of the enormous palace, the place inhabited by thousands of people even today. The past was actually lost in the mists of time in these streets and alleys. Among these people who lived their everyday life here, inside the marble walls, there's simply no sign of the echo of distance. No engraving can be seen and there's no trace of the presence of old rulers. A new life has begun between the old walls. The 21st century throbs in the shade of the palace. Some famous statues of Juraj Dalmatinac and Ivan Mestrovich can be seen in the city. The enormous monument depicting archbishop Grgur holding the holy Bible in his hand is believed to bring luck if the toe of the statue is rubbed. A gallery was set up of the artworks of Mestrovich in the former house of the master. Tags: Split in Croatia,Croatia Travel Attractions,Croatia Travel Guide,Croatia Travel Information,croatia travel tips,shepherd entertainment,Visit Split in Croatia,world travel,shepherdfilm

• published: 04 Apr 2014
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