| Cathedral & Bell Tower tips and photos posted by real travelers and Split locals. • 53 Photos
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That's the name generally attributed to the church the first Christian residents of Split created in the deserted mausoleum that once held the body of Diocletian. Duje (Domnius)was their beloved local bishop, whose death some 300 years earlier had come at the order of that same emperor who was a ferocious persecutor of the early Christian church. There's a certain irony in that!
In fact (something I learned fromdiocletianvs), the Cathedral is actually dedicated to the Virgin, it's the adjacent bell tower that is named for the saint.
The cathedral itself is an extraordinary building - Roman with mediaeval and Renaissance additions in its exterior appearance, ornately Christian in its decoration and furnishings as you look around when you first enter, but once you enter the body of the church and you look up, from the tops of the Corinthian columns into the dome they support, this is pure Rome, stripped of its original golden mosaics, you can see the bones of this building as well as reliefs of Diocletian and his wife - fabulous!
Down below and all around you, the cathedral is richly decorated with carved stone and wood, gilt and fresco. Two elaborate side chapels are dedicated to Domnius and his fellow martyr, Anastasius. The magnificently carved 13th century wooden doors are protected by glass.
Stairs lead up to the Cathedral Treasury - the usual mix of rich vestments, reliquaries, documents and church plate. There's a small charge for entry.
You might be lucky, as we have been, and find the crypt open. Not that tere's a lot to see but its cool vaults offer a welcome respite from the heat. Its opening times are erratic.
No photography is allowed inside the cathedral. Leave a Comment Directions: The cathedral is open daily from 8am-noon and again from 1630-1900 You'll find a board by the Information office with quite a lot of interesting detail about the Cathedral - useful for those without guides.l
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 by acemj
No photos are allowed inside the cathedral and if you'd like to climb the campanile, there is a small 5kn charge to do so. Inside the cathedral, the small space has an impressive array of beautiful items to behold. The pulpit is the first thing I noticed just after entering the octagonal shaped building. It's carved with all kinds of snakes and beasts and is kind of ominous looking. There are a few impressive altars inside as well and the columns that support the structure are also interesting.
For a better picture of the campanile, see my general tip. Leave a Comment
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Visible from miles around, the bell tower of Split's Cathedral, is the most prominent feature of the city skyline. Coming into harbour by boat, or driving towards the city, you can see it from miles away and, like Paris' Eiffel Tower, you're constantly catching sight of it as you move around the city.
It's actually the bell tower, not the cathedral, that is dedicated to the city's martyred bishop, Domnius. Construction began in the 12th century and was to continue for 30 years before it was complete. Extensive rebuilding in 1908 (the tower had collapsed some time earlier) saw many of the original Romanesque details removed, though the lions from that period remain on guard.
I've yet to climb to the top, though the thought of the view tempts me still, summer heat and crowds have kept me on the ground so far. Maybe our next visit will be the time - it'll be autumn, cooler and quieter without the heat haze. We'll see ... Leave a Comment Directions: Guidebooks vary with their information about opening times. You can be sure the tower will be open on summer mornings - for other , you'll need to check once you've arived in Split. It will cost you 5 kuna.
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 Bell Tower in Split,
Croatia by karenincalifornia
I love this photo of the Bell Tower in Split and an ancient column (is it Doric, Gothic, Corinthian?) The Bell Tower was constructed in the year 1100 AD. Sveti Duje was one of the most beautiful romanesque towers, but it was radically changed in the 19th century. (Hvala, diocletianvs!)
Yes, we did climb up the Bell Tower, which would not be permitted in the US because of potential liability. The stairway is narrow, steep and the hand rails just didn't look too trustworthy. I don't think they would have saved me if I had slipped. But, in the end, the view of Split was worth it. Leave a Comment
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 Sveti Duje by diocletianvs
Although many art historians still cry after the original romanesque bell tower that marked the silhouette of Split for centuries, the “new” tower of St. Doimus remains one of the main symbols of Split. During the reconstruction in 19th century the tower was transformed in historicist manner – very precise but somewhat cold in a purity of the style.
The tower provides the best viewpoint in the center of Split so it is a *must do* to buy an entrance ticket at the desk in front of it and climb its stairs – made in stone in the lower part and as the iron staircase in the upper part.
The view from the top to the Palace, old town, harbour and the Marjan hill is magnificent! Leave a Comment Directions: After you climb up and return down we’ll still remain at Peristyle. Yes, this place deserves more of our attention.Website: http://www.st.carnet.hr/split
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 Detail from the Cathedral by diocletianvs
Although more than 90 percents of inhabitants of Split would swear that their cathedral is named after St.Doimus (Sveti Dujam) - the bishop of Salona tortured and killed under Diocletian; actually only the bell tower is named after him, church being named after St. Maria – the Virgin Mary. Still, the irony of the Torturer and the Tortured remains…
The bell tower was built in a narrow space between the cathedral (mauseoleum) and the Peristyle in late 13th / early 14th century. It was built in a romanesque style, with the gothic-rennaissance end on top. During the reconstruction in the 19th century the bell-tower was radically transformed, and many of the original romanesque sculptures were removed. Two of the remaining still guard the entrance to the cathedral from the Peristyle. They show the lions, and together with the (much bigger and better known) sculptures at the Trogir cathedral are among the best preserved romanesque sculptures on the eastern Adriatic coast. Leave a Comment
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 Entrance to the Cathedral by diocletianvs
The cathedral, although one of the smallest in the world, is a pure treasury of the various arts and you’ll need some time here: it is so small that it’s enough just to stay at one place and look around. But it’s important to know what to look for.
The most important feature are probably the wooden doors, one of the best preserved and oldest medieval doors of this kind. They were made in 1214 by Andrija Buvina in romanesque style, and present one of the rare examples of wooden sculpture made in an area characterized by the stone. Each of the two wings contains 14 scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, separated by rich ornaments in wood.
On the left side from the entrance you’ll find richly decorated preaching pulpit made in stone in late-romanesque style (13th/14th cent.), with double columns in stone of various colours.
The wooden choir chairs were made in 13th century and present the mixture of the Lombardy romanesque as well as Bizantine art and Islamic decorations.
The St.Doimus altar is located in south-eastern part of the cathedral and contains the earlychristian sarchophag with gothic altar made by Bonino da Milano in 1427. In north-eastern part we find the Altar of St. Anastasius (Sv. Stas) – a masterpiece in gothic-rennaissance style made by master Juraj Dalmatinac in 1448. Another, northern altar of St.Doimus was made by Venetian sculptor G.M. Morlaiter in late 18th century showing the death of the Saint, once the bishop in nearby city of Salona.
Once inside, don’t miss the Treasury of the cathedral (you’ll have to pay the entrance fee) that contains many art objects dating from the Middle Ages untill the Baroque period. One of the most important objects are decorated church books from the 8th century and the richly decorated “Historia Salonitana” - a 13th Century book about the history of the church in Split . It is important not only because of its decorations but also as one of the main sources about the period of Middle Ages in Dalmatia. Leave a Comment
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 The Bell Tower by biggeorge
The bells themselves sound like a hundred people banging pots and pans together and the sound rattles round the narrow high streets. Leave a Comment
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 Saint Duje Cathedral by canaglicLeave a Comment
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The idea of this picture was to catch the sunrise in one of the bell-tower's window. Besides, the picture of tower taken from this perspective always look very attractive.
The Bell-tower is the highest building in the town of Split. On a clear day you can see whole the town and surroundings islands from its top. Leave a Comment
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