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| Inside the Diocletian Palace in Split |
| Split, Hrvatska |
Croatia is a relatively small country but it features some rather astonishing architectural examples. The country's best Roman architectural remains are to be found in Split and Pula: architecturally outstanding complex of Diocletian's Palace in Split and the extremely well preserved amphitheatre in Pula - Istria. But, let’s start from the very beginnings. The most interesting Copper Age findings originate from Vučedol culture, which was named after the place called Vučedol which is located near Vukovar. People within this area used to live on hilltops, surrounded by palisade walls. Their houses were half buried into the ground and they were characterized by round or square shape. They were also built in the so-called mushroom shape. Numerous monumental sculptures are preserved from the period of the Illyrians, an ethnic group with distinct culture and art form. One of the best examples for that are the walls of citadel Nezakcij near Pula. As we all know, the Antique period refers mostly to Greek and Romans. The Greeks were skilful merchants and sailors and they have reached almost the whole Mediterranean coast, including the shores of what is nowadays used to be called Croatia. The cities within the Greek period were geometrically shaped and they featured prosperity. Namely, they possessed villas, public buildings, harbours, temples, theatres… We shall mention several of these cities: Tragurion (Trogir), Salona (Solin near Split), Epetion (Poreč), and Issa (Vis). The Greeks were followed by the Romans and the Roman period was within this territory the synonym for prosperity. This prosperity is shown in numerous examples - rustic villas, new urban settlements - there have been approximately 30 urban cities in Roman provinces of Istria, Liburnia and Dalmatia. The best examples of preserved structure of the Roman streets can be seen in Epetion (Poreč) and Jader (Zadar). For example, Zadar is abundant with long narrow streets and they all lead to the main one. The best preserved monuments dating from this time are to be found in Pula and Salona. Pula is abundant with the examples of classical Roman art - two city gates, stone walls, temples on the Forum, remains of two theatres, the Arch darting back to 30 AD, the temple of Augustus and last, but not least, the Fluvial Amphitheatre which is often simply called the Arena, fabulous venue in which many cultural manifestation are held. The Arena is the only remaining Roman amphitheatre to have four side towers and with all three Roman architectural orders entirely preserved. It is the sixth largest surviving Roman arena. It is also the best preserved ancient monument in Croatia. The exterior wall of the Arena is constructed in limestone. The part which faces the sea consists of three stories, while the other part has only two stories since the amphitheatre was built on a slope. Perhaps the largest and the most important monument of the late antique architecture is the Diocletian’s Palace in Split. Diocletian's Palace (Dioklecijanova palača in Croatian) is a building in Split in Croatia that was built by the emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD. Diocletian built the massive palace for his retirement after abdicating on May 1, 305 AD. It lies in a bay on the south side of a short peninsula running out from the Dalmatian coast, four miles from Salona - the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. In November 1979 UNESCO adopted a proposal that the historic city of Split built around the Palace should be included in the register of World Cultural Heritage. The Palace combines qualities of a luxurious villa with those of a military camp, with its huge gates and watchtowers and is enclosed by walls. A monumental court, called the Peristyle, formed the northern access to the imperial apartments. It also gave access to Diocletian's mausoleum on the east (now St. Domnius' cathedral), and to three temples on the west (two of which are now lost, the third having become a baptistery). Nowadays this court is the stage for summer festivals in town of Split.
| Zadar, Hrvatska |
Other significant Roman sites include Zadar and Salona (archaeological site near Solin - Split), while numerous smaller finds are exhibited at the archaeological museum in Split. One of few preserved basilicas in Western Europe from the time of early Byzantium is Euphrasian Basilica in Poreč from 6th century. It was commissioned by Bishop Euphrasius in 535BC to 50BC. Basilica contains some particularly beautiful Byzantine wall mosaics. This Basilica is the most precious cultural monument in the city of Poreč. It is situated in the northeast part of the urban-historical core of the city. The Basilica is dominated by a triple-nave apse, a narthex, the atrium, an octagonal baptistery, and the bishop's palace. The edifice was added to in the 13th and 15th centuries, and a bell-tower was erected in the 16th century. This venue is on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The architecture of the Croatian coastal towns is a sign of Croatia's history. The architecture styles are mixture of Romanesque, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. The Croats came to this territory in the 7th century. They were open to Roman art and culture and the Roman influence is most strongly felt precisely in Dalmatia. This is due to the fact that this province was inhabited to the highest extent and therefore it features the abundance of monuments. Large churches are longitudinal with one or three naves like The Church of Holy Salvation at the source of the river Cetina. This church was built in the 9th century and it looks more like a fortification. Smaller churches, which originate from this time, are interestingly shaped. The largest and most complicated central based church from 9th century is St Donatus in Zadar. This venue is a monumental round building from the 9th century in pre-Romanesque style. It is the most important preserved structure of its period in Dalmatia. The massive dome of the rotunda is surrounded by a vaulted gallery in two stories which also extends around the three apses to the east. The church treasury contains some of the finest Dalmatian metalwork; notably the silver ark or reliquary of St Simeon (1380), and the pastoral staff of Bishop Valaresso (1460). The first distinctively Croatian design feature emerged around 800AD and appears frequently on buildings until the 11th century. The interlaced ornamentation is called "pleter". We have started with Zadar and we should continue with some other monuments from this town. The Cathedral of St. Anastasia (Croatian: Katedrala sv. Stošije) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Zadar, Croatia. It is the seat of the Archdiocese of Zadar. Today's cathedral was built in the Romanesque style. It is the largest church in all of Dalmatia (the coastal region of Croatia). The church's origins date back to a Christian basilica built in the 4th and 5th century, while much of today's building was constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries. The churches of St. Chrysogonus and St. Simeon are also in the Romanesque style. St. Krševan's Church is a monumental Romanesque church of very fine proportions and refined Romanesque ornaments. St. Mary's Church belongs to a Benedictine Convent, which was founded in 1066. This venue houses the Permanent Ecclesiastical Art Exhibition called "The Gold and Silver of Zadar". The Monastery of St. Francis Assisi (Croatian: Samostan sv. Franje Asiškog) in Zadar is a Roman Catholic Franciscan monastery, which dates back to the 13th century. Over the centuries of its history the monastery has been the centre of religious life in the city of Zadar. Other architectural examples in Zadar are:
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| St. Jacob Cathedral in Šibenik |
Let’s move to a nearby town Šibenik. The Cathedral of St. Jacob (Katedrala Svetog Jakova) was built in the 15th century. The three architects succeeded one another in the construction of the Cathedral and these are: Francesco di Giacomo, Georgius Mathei Dalmaticus and Niccolò di Giovanni Fiorentino. This venue was built completely of stone. There are numerous decorative elements here and perhaps the most interesting one is a frieze which consists of 71 sculptured faces of men, women, and children. This structure is one of the best world’s examples for blending architectural styles of Gothic and Renaissance. It was awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status in 2000. The stone slabs of the Cathedral's roof were damaged when the city was shelled by Serbian forces in 1991. The damage has since been repaired. In the previous chapter we mentioned blending of Gothic and Renaissance styles; so, let’s continue with Gothic. The earliest Gothic style appeared in Trogir on the renowned Cathedral of St. Lawrence. Its main west portal is a masterpiece by Radovan, and the most significant work of the Romanesque-Gothic style in Croatia. Other important architectural sites in Trogir include:
In Zagreb the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary displays early Gothic influences. Now, let’s move to the North of Croatia and say something about Dubrovnik, the pearl of the Adriatic Coast. Few of Dubrovnik's Renaissance buildings survived the earthquake of 1667 but fortunately enough remain to give an idea of the city's architectural heritage. The finest Renaissance monument of this city is the Sponza Palace which dates back to the 16th century and is currently used to house the National Archives. The Rectors Palace a Gothic-Renaissance venue, nowadays houses a museum and displays finely-carved capitals and an ornate staircase. The St .Saviour Church is also a very good example of the Renaissance period, next to the much-visited Franciscan Monastery. St Blaise's church, a baroque Cathedral, was built in the 18th century and houses an impressive Treasury with relics of Saint Blaise. A striking feature of Dubrovnik is its walls that run 2km around the city. The walls run from four to six metres thick on the landward side but are much thinner on the seaward side. The walls of Dubrovnik feature well preserved complex of public and private, sacral and secular buildings. A special emphasis should be put on the main street of the city - Stradun, the Prince's Palace, the church of St. Vlaho, the Cathedral, three large monasteries, the Custom's Office and the City Hall. These walls are on UNESCO World Heritage List. You have all definitely heard about Korčula, an island but also an ancient fortified town on the protected east coast of the island. This island was Venetian stronghold. Architecture of Korčula Old Town is a medieval, and the city itself boasts numerous narrow streets that branch off the spine of the main street like the fish bone. The town includes several interesting historic sights: the central Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of St Mark, the 15th-century Franciscan monastery with its beautiful Venetian Gothic cloister, the civic council chambers, and the palace of the former Venetian governor. There is also one more island which is important when speaking about the architectural heritage of Croatia. It is the island of Hvar. Town of Hvar is a well-preserved medieval city that has a particularly fine sixteenth century Renaissance cathedral, the Cathedral of St Stephen. It seems that all the time we are dealing only with Dalmatia and there are some interesting architectural examples also in the northern part of Croatia. In regard to this part of the country, Varaždin is the richest in Baroque architecture, while Zagreb, the capital of Croatia, is typical Middle-European city with various samples of Secessionist and Neo-Baroque architectural styles. Varaždin's Cathedral, a former Jesuit church, was built in 1647, and is distinguished by its baroque entrance, eighteenth-century altar, and paintings. There are many baroque and rococo palaces and houses in the town. Worth particular mention is Varaždin's Croatian National Theatre which was built in 1873. In 17th and 18th century Croatia was reunited with the parts of country that were occupied by Venetian Republic and Ottoman Empire. The unity attributed to sudden flourishing of Art in every segment. The emphasis should be put, of course, on the baroque art. Due to constant Ottoman threats, large fortifications with towers were built. The two largest ones were Osijek and Slavonski Brod. They were fortified with water and earth and the fort of Slavonski Brod was the largest in all Croatia. Zagreb also has fine examples of the baroque style. The Church of St Catherine, the Church of St Xavier and the mansions containing the Croatian Historical Museum and the Croatian Museum of Naive Art reflect the flourishing baroque style of the 18th century.
Cities of Dalmatia also got baroque towers and bastions incorporated in their old walls, like the ones in Pula, Šibenik or Hvar. But biggest baroque undertaking happened in Dubrovnik in 17th century after catastrophic earthquake in 1667 when almost entire city was destroyed. In Baroque style were rebuilt the church of St Vlaho on the main square (1715), Main Cathedral and Jesuit monastery with church of St Ignatius. Romantic Movement in Croatia was sentimental, gentle and subtle. In architecture there were simple decorations made of shallow arch like niches around windows. When talking about the architecture of the 19th century in Croatia, we must mention the movement called Historicism. There are three venues which are to be mentioned within this context: neo-Romanesque cathedral in Đakovo (1882), monumental parish church of St. Peter and Paul in Osijek (1898) and neo-gothic rebuilding of Zagreb cathedral (Herman Bolle, 1880-1902). At the end of 19th century Herman Bolle undertook one of the largest projects of European historicism - half-kilometre long neo-renaissance arcade with twenty domes on Zagreb cemetery Mirogoj. At the same time the cities in Croatia experienced urban makeover in the real sense of this word. Karlovac transformed its renaissance bastions into a parkway that surrounds entire old town and the coastal cities opened to the sea. The modern Croatian architecture appeared with Viktor Kovačić who was the first to speak against historicism and represented the idea that architecture must be individual and modern, but also practical and comfortable. At the end we would like to put a special accent on one architectural example typical precisely for Croatia. In Croatian region of Lika, in small village of Milinkovići, it is still possible to see the sample of original rural wooden house called brvnara. This structure is built of huge pieces of wood and these pieces are called “brvna”. The lower parts of this structure are made of earth, mud or concrete and the roof is made of thatch. Unfortunately, these structures are very rare nowadays.
