Trogir Old Town is situated within enclosed walls on a small island in the Rogirski Kanal. Trogir itself is a premium venue and is more than a worthy day trip from Split. So what to see? Trogir Old Town has more attractions per square metre than many of the more widely visited towns and cities along the Dalmatian coast. Trogir is compelling by its history, major architectural and archaeological attractions, leisure activities, scenery and mediaeval urban landscape.
Trogir’s culture and architecture has been shaped by its history of occupation and so the Old Town has absorbed influences from the Greeks, Romans, Venetians and Austro-Hungarians. The city was most influential during the Venetian occupation (1420-1797AD) and so the design of the city and architecture not only carries the legacies of settlement from the Roman and Romanesque periods through to the Gothic, but importantly the contributions during the Renaissance. This applies not only to the grand buildings throughout Trogir Old Town, but also to the houses and properties that line the narrow lanes and byways that provide access through it.
Trogir: What to Do
Trogir Old Town is very small, about 500 metres (380y) by 250 metres (220y). A leisurely, uninterrupted stroll around the perimeter of the Old Town can be completed in about 15 to 20 minutes. So, before you set off, find a cafe, enjoy a coffee, consult a map, and think about how you would like to follow your interests to get the best out of your visit. There is plenty to see and much to do. Here are some ideas.
Trogir: What to See
The North City Gate and Lion of St Mark in Trogir Old Town
Once having arrived and organised parking, visitors approach Trogir Old Town and the North City Gate over the arched Old Stone Bridge. This bridge (also known as the Land Gate and Kopnena Vrata) was formerly a drawbridge and during the 15th century was the main entrance to what was then Trogir.
Access to the nearby larger island of Ciovo is via the new Ciovo Bridge (Ciovski Most). The Ciovo Bridge provides a thoroughfare directly from the mainland for commercial and recreational traffic thus relieving Trogir of much unwanted through traffic.
Entry into Trogir Old Town is then through 15th Century city walls via the North City Gate.
The North City Gate’s 15th Century origins and characteristics date it within the Renaissance without being exclusive to it.
Most evident is the semi-circular arch, a signature of the classical Roman and Romanesque periods, and restored during the Renaissance. Situated above the door’s arch is the Lion of St. Mark (the symbol of Venice) and a statue of the city’s patron saint, St. John. The entablature in classical architecture is a feature that comprises horizontal members supported by vertical columns. The horizontal members of the entablature are usually the architrave, frieze and cornice. These components are clearly present in the North City Gate. The weight of the entablature is supported by the engaged columns on its either side. The architrave, located above the arch, is the horizontal member that spans the width of the gate between the columns. This horizontal member forms the base of the entablature. The frieze is a horizontal, non-structural, decorative element that sits above the architrave. The third member of the entablature,the cornice,is a horizontal member that sits above the frieze. The attic, situated above the frieze and cornice, has been covered with stucco or render, may have been richly sculptured. These components and their relative organization are representative of a classical structure.
Once through the North City Gate and staring back from the other end of the square is the Garagnin-Fanfogma Palace, now the home of the City Museum. This building is restored from its Romanesque and Gothic origins, characteristics which are described later in the post.
The Palace (House) of Petar Berislavić
Petar Berislavic was a very prominent citizen of Trogir during the 15th – 16th Centuries. He served as both a Bishop and the Ban of Croatia (1513-1520). The latter title was afforded an official who served as the executive administrative representative of the monarch. The role was complex and combined military, executive and judicial authority to effectively govern territory. One of his memorable successes was leadership of the resistance against the Ottoman empire.
Berislavic Palace at Šubićeva ulica 1 was the birthplace of Petar Berislavic. We had to resort to an imported image of the palace due to the perspective of our own image. You will find it at the following link.
Credit: Arianne Gujinovic Lyon Clark, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The building appears today as an historic stone building embedded in a row of other connected mediaeval/Renaissance buildings. These structures were merged, altered, and rebuilt over centuries and so today they read as one continuous façade.
The palace has been renovated. However, suggestions of its original architecture remain. Above the door is a newly arched window very much in the style of former mediaeval windows. This window and the two windows in the centre of the image is framed by pilasters, and a colonette would have divided the window spaces into two parts. This was typical of classical windows going back to the Romanesque.
An interesting feature is the window underneath the roof line. The design is also Gothic but the pointed arch has been filled in during the remodeling of the wall.
There is some confusion on the internet about the location of this palace. The home of Petar Berislavić, this site, is located in the immediate vicinity of the Town Museum and the North City Gate. It is sometimes confused with the Peter Berislavic Elementary School which was located behind the Lucic Palace which is on the Riva waterfront. Naturally, it is not unreasonable to assume the school and the palace are one and the same. However, they are separate historical buildings. Further brief reference is given to this when we describe the Lucic Palace.
The Berislavić Palace is now a luxury apartment complex and heritage site, offering accommodations in the heart of Trogir.
The Town Square of Trogir Old Town
The Town Square or Trg Ivana Pavla II (John Paul II Square)
The North City Gate entrance leads to the Town Square via a limestone pedestrian lane, the Gradska Ulica. These lanes have been smoothed by centuries of use. The image below reveals the reflected light, even in shadows, off the glossy, smoothed limestone. The masonry walls are also constructed from limestone blocks, a feature that is ubiquitous throughout the Old Town. Stone architraves around the windows and doors and hood moulding above the upper windows hint at Trogir’s mediaeval past.
The lane emerges onto a small Town Square which has its roots in the early 13th Century. Such a space, akin to the Roman Forum, was a common area which was community-centred and catered for activities ranging from market to governance. The Loggia would be a natural consequence providing cover for formal announcements and declarations.
The Town Square of Trogir Old Town is well prepared for visitors during the popular Summer months and stocked with tables and chairs. This can make positioning for photographs, without accessory lenses, quite difficult. However, take your time to investigate the Square. There are plenty of attractions worth your time – the 15th Century Cipiko Palace, St Lovre’s (Lawrence’s) Cathedral, the Town Hall, St Sebastian Church, the renovated City Loggia and Clock Tower.
The History and Architecture of the Cathedral of St Lawrence
The Cathedral of St Lawrence was constructed during the 12th and 13th Centuries. The origins of the Cathedral are therefore within the Romanesque and early Gothic and should exhibit many of the features associated with the periods. Nevertheless, the extended time over which the Cathedral was constructed, including its reconstruction due to demolition in 1420 by the Venetians, meant that the final build would include characteristics from a number of mediaeval periods.
Images by Helmlechner, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
Romanesque Elements of St Lawrence’s Cathedral
The Exterior of St Lawrence’s Cathedral
Let’s look for some Romanesque signatures. One of the main legacies of Roman architecture was the semi-circular arch. These are quite prominent on St Lawrence Cathedral and quite significant given the period of its origin. The most apparent are the large, semi-circular arches of the porch leading to the portal. The celestory and aisle windows are also capped with semi-circular arches. An arched arcade (triforium) runs along the length of the Church above the aisle windows and below the celestory. Sculptured figures are mounted on the base of each arch. The arches appear similarly directly under the roof line. Archivolt moulding decorates the arched entrance into the lower (aisle) storey. Archivolt moulding is very significant to identify medieval buildings.
Other external features of the main body of the Cathedral that could be used to point to its Romanesque origins include the flat buttresses along the cathedral wall. The weight of Romanesque buildings is countered by the thick walls and these may be supported by flat buttresses.
A wheel window located at the rear of building is also visible, and very narrow celestory and aisle windows.
Gothic Elements of St Lawrence’s Cathedral
The bell tower reveals both Romanesque and Gothic features, though primarily Gothic. The tower structure, having been built in stages, is associated with the Romanesque. This also applies to the blind arcades even though an ogival window pair has been constructed within it. The height of the windows in the lower stage compared to those in the upper stages also infers a Romanesque legacy.
The windows in the bell tower are very distinctive of the Gothic. It was not unknown for some Romanesque cathedrals to also have the ojival windows due to the common years of the Romanesque and the Gothic. The most significant evidence of the Gothic is certainly the second stage (Belfry). The verticality of the high, slender windows and their tracery is a distinctive departure from the Romanesque.
The third stage (Lantern) of the bell tower shows a distinctive departure from the Gothic stages below it. The ogival windows have been replaced by semi-circular arches and the tracery decoration has replaced by classical themes. These suggest a return to the Renaissance elements for the completion of the tower.
The Interior of St Lawrence’s Cathedral
Images by Helmlechner, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The darkened interior of the cathedral is a legacy of Romanesque design which favoured narrow, arched windows at a time when defence was a preoccupation. In a Gothic church there would be large vertical windows allowing light into the Cathedral, giving it a sense of space and verticality.
The heavy rectangular piers which support the arched overhead load separating the nave from the aisles in traditional Romanesque design would have have been square with optional rounded columns. The large ogival arch above the semi-circular arch spanning the nave may have been a later Gothic modification. Groin vaulting along the length of the ceiling reinforces the Romanesque origin of the Cathedral of st Lawrence.
The Romanesque Elements of Radovan’s Portal of St Lawrence’s Cathedral
Images by Helmlechner, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
The portal for St Lawrence Cathedral is exemplary as a Romanesque portal. It is known as Radovan’s Portal, was constructed in 1240 AD, and a fitting testimony to the masonry and craftsmanship of the period.
The portal, by tradition, is located within the Cathedral’s western facade. The portal is located under the ceiling of the porch and the ceiling is defined by its Romanesque groin vaults, the groins intersecting at right angles.
The portal of St. Lawrence is a biblical and symbolic adventure. Even if you have only very limited bible knowledge, you may be able to pick out some of the themes on the portal, particularly those relating to the account of Adam and Eve.
The jamb pedestals on the floor support the decorative jamb columns which are capped with historiated capitals with scrolls.These capitals usually reflect historical events or religious themes.
The door is situated within a rectangular architrave defined by regular mouldings. Sculptured voussoirs stabilise and circulate across the breadth of the portal above the lintel, defining an archivolt which encloses a richly sculptured tympanum.
The Architecture of the Great Cipiko Palace
The Great Cipiko Palace is more than one building but rather a complex of adjacent Romanesque buildings that occupy the western side of the Town Square. Remodeling during the Renaissance (15th and 17th Centuries) and subsequent re-purposing over the centuries has resulted in it being more difficult to simply visually discriminate which buildings were part of the original complex.
The first period of remodeling occurred within the early Renaissance when extensions were incorporated into existing structures. The second period of remodeling occurred during the late Renaissance during the 17th Century when the area of the palace was extended by integrating additional buildings into the complex. The most identifiable is the ‘Little Cipiko Palace’ which is located further along the Town Square opposite the Loggia. The most apparent building which has maintained its clear identification is the Cipiko Palace which is located on the opposite side of the Town Square to St Lawrence Cathedral. The design of the windows of both palaces reflects the strong influence of Venice on Trogir’s architecture.
The remodeling of the palace is still quite visible. The masonry and mortar at street level to the height of the lintels differs from that above it. The street level arches are not characteristic of Romanesque, but of later periods – most likely the Renaissance. The mortar and masonry around these arches differs from that of the façade above it. The hood moulding above the arches is not characteristic of Romanesque, possibly Gothic. And the architraves surrounding the portals, if Romanesque, would be rectilinear.
The most obvious modification to the façade is the addition of a balcony and trifoil ogive windows, the latter mounted on what appear to be Renaissance capitals. However, starting at street level, the entablature which is used to support structures above it again points to the Renaissance.
The balcony has a stone balustrade, a strong association with the Renaissance, supported by symmetrical balusters. The balcony sits on corbels lacking ornamentation – another suggestion of Renaissance. The corbels under the roof line don’t have the same authority as a means of identifying Renaissance modification.
The ogive trifoil windows separated by colonettes are always an indicator of the Gothic but there isn’t any reason to prevent them being used in later reconstruction. The windows are mounted on columns capped with foliated capitals, usually a pointer to the Renaissance.
Small Cipiko Palace
The Small Cipiko Palace exhibits a similar facade to the Cipiko Palace
The Small Cipiko Palace reflects many of the observations of its larger sibling. Certainly, on first glance, the masonry of the façade of the Small Cipiko Palace is very different from that surrounding it.
The two arched entrances either side of the central rectilinear portal is but one of many features that make the small palace an excellent example of Renaissance symmetry and a return to classical design.
The trifoil ogive windows are separated by vertical columns which are tapered. This is a Renaissance feature as are the Corinthian capitals on which the windows rest.
The Trogir Town Hall in Trogir Old Town
Trogir City Hall is located on the eastern side of the Town Square adjacent to the Cathedral of St Lawrence. The Town Hall has been historically the residence of the Venetian Governor, or Rector. It now serves the town council as their meeting place and as a tourist office.
The Trogir Town Hall was constructed during the Renaissance period prior to the emergence of Venice as the regional power. It would appear, however, that Venice certainly had an influence on the building by virtue of the ogee window architraves on the southern face of the building.
The Town Hall building has undergone significant restoration. The Gothic southern face as seen is complemented by a Gothic courtyard
However, the centre of attention is the restored Renaissance eastern facade which is most likely from the Neo-classical period. During this period architecture removed itself from the extravagance of the Baroque and returned to the clear, crisp classical lines of the Greeks and Romans. Neo-classical architecture returned to the strict principles of proportion, symmetry, and the repetition of regular parts.
Evidence of restoration can be seen in the image by a variation of the masonry. The Town Hall has now clean lines and façade. Rational design has taken precedence over embellishment. This style has returned to the deliberate, harmonious, precise and symmetrical layout of the classical. All the elements appear to mirror each other, uninterrupted by projecting or distracting ornamentation. The whole intention is to project grandeur and permanence.
Each section of windows in the upper floors is proportional, the windows being classically arched and evenly spaced. The architraves of the upper windows feature pilaster’s which enhance classical appearance. The lower windows also feature pilasters which are more definitive than simple window architraves. The balcony can be compared with the masonry balustrade and symmetrical balusters of the palaces.
The portals are in the form of a classical entablature (see Northern City Gate) with engaged columns. These rectangular portals are capped with simple hood moulding rather than the extravagance of the Baroque.
St Sebastian Church and Clock Tower
The Church of St. Sebastian is located on the Town Square adjacent to the Town Hall and facing St Lawrence’s Cathedral.
Europe was devastated by the Plague between the 14th to 18th Centuries. Trogir did not escape the infections that distinguished the Plague and on more then one occasion many lives were forfeited. During these challenging times populations understandably turn to deliverance through religion and so St Sebastian’s Church was built by the community during the 15th Century as a votive, or offering, for their survival of the Plague. It is now used to memorialise those who were victims of the Balkan’s War during the 1990’s.
The Renaissance tower is notable by the absence of embellishment apart from two sculptures on its northern face, Christ and St Sebastian, and coats of arms of former dignitaries.
The Town Loggia from the Renaissance
The noun ‘Loggia’ is derived from the same Italian word meaning ‘porch or gallery’. Therefore, mediaeval Loggiae were exterior galleries that resembled a porch. They typically had at least one side open and facing a public space.
The Loggia in Trogir is immediately adjacent to the Clock Tower. It served for the administration of legal services (including public assemblies and trials), governance and civil announcements, contractual arrangements and communal gatherings. Therefore its function resembled that of the ‘Bema’ of Roman times which was used as the location within the forum for similar uses. The Loggia in Trogir was also the centre for the dissemination of information during the Plague years.
The Loggia in Trogir is a Renaissance structure, its use first identified in documents dating from the 13th Century. A rounded set of steps leads up from the Town Square to the floor of the Loggia. The entrance was outlined by two tapered Renaissance columns capped by Corinthian capitals – acanthus leaves (left) and ornamentation (right). The balustrade is from the Renaissance period as are the balusters. Deep reliefs cut the rear wall. This south-facing entrance exposes a relief of a horseman depicting Petar Berislavic[tooltip], Viceroy of Croatia (1513-1520).
Reliefs were also used to reinforce the importance of Justice and that its processes should be highly visible to the public. Consequently, a relief of ‘Justice’ was commissioned for the eastern wall (the North Gate is to the left). Acanthus leaves with scrolls can be identified supporting St Lawrence and St John, along with the relief with the Venetian lion and eagle. The Justice identity is in the upper centre of the relief.
The western wall is decorated with a moving memorial to those from the city who died as a result of the conflict in the Balkans.(1990’s).
Church of St Barbara
An immediate turn left at the bottom of the steps from the Loggia, onto the Gradska Ulica, leads to a large column and capital supporting a very old porch. Porches were common during the Renaissance and were used to provide protection from the elements when entering and leaving public places. The presence of a porch therefore indicated the presence nearby of a building of interest, and this was the Church of St Barbara.
Sadly, this pre-Romanesque basilica, built in the 9th to 10th century, was not available to enter when we visited Trogir. Nevertheless, our imagination fired and if we had gained entry we would have expected to have seen semi-circular arches and barrel vaults, perhaps similar to St Sava in Budva, Montenegro. Nevertheless, the best we can do is quote the following details taken from a public notice board in front of the entrance.
“It was built of rough fragments of broken stone with an ample use of binder. The main portal with a lunette is constructed of parts of a sarcophagus decorated with early Christian crosses into stone, while the lintel is embellished with floral and zoomorphic motifs.
The inscription underneath this decoration reveals that the church was built by Pryor Myos and a relative of his, Peter, around A.D. 1000. The church was initially dedicated to St Martin, but after the demolition of St Barbara’s Church on the mainland, her cult was moved here.”
The South City Gate
South City Gate
The South City Gate shares many of the features of the North City Gate which was described earlier in the post. Rather than write a similar description, it is probably more interesting to visually compare the South City Gate with the North City Gate. There are differences, but in general the Renaissance structure and design of the North City Gate with its entablature and associated components can be seen to be repeated in the South City Gate.
There is much to be gained also from just a casual inspection of this wall and gate. The most obvious features to see are the semi-circular arches used to frame the wall openings, continuing the classical forms and structures from the Romanesque.The structure is made from the same limestone blocks that are ubiquitous along the Dalmation coast and further into Montenegro, Albania and Greece. Given the thickness of the walls and their height above the South Gate, about six times the height of an average male, it poses the question as to the method that was used to raise the stone and position it securely. The crenelations along the top of the wall are expected as a defensive measure, and the many small openings in the St Nicholas Tower to the left of the gate may have been for ventilation or perhaps, for the protrusion of weapons. What brings life to travelling is observing and thinking, not necessarily knowing.
The column being used as a flag pole is very prominent in front of the South City Gate. The column is of Renaissance design, tapered along its length and capped with a Corinthian capital. The capital is square, decorated with acanthus leaves,and has a round base where the capital attaches to the column.
The Small Loggia
The Small Loggia is located adjacent to, but outside, the South City Gate. The columns supporting the roof are interesting.Their capitals appear to predate the Renaissance and return to the Romanesque. The limestone ‘furnishing’ of the interior may be original but, if not, probably represents fairly accurately the facilities that the Small Loggia would have offered. No doubt the Small Loggia provided temporary shelter for any visitor to the city who for some reason or other could not achieve ready entry into the city, However, the Small Loggia played an important role during the plague years. It served to quarantine any citizen who showed symptoms and hence attempted to reduce the incidence of infection across the population. It probably wasn’t a very healthy venue to be placed – among all the others who were suffering plague.
Church and Benedictine Monastery of St Nicholas
The Church and Benedictine Monastery of St Nicholas is located just to the right of the South Gate and Small Loggia. It can be identified in the image by its prominent balcony and steeple.
Pre-dating the monastery was St Dominus, a pre-Romanesque or Roman church. There are still some to be seen along the Adriatic coast, a good example being Churches of Santa Maria in Punta in Budva, Montenegro [link]. The Monastery of St Nicholas was built adjacent to the church in 1066AD and therefore shares its beginning with the date of William the Conqueror’s victory at the Battle of Hastings. The date of the first construction between 1066 and 1265 places it in the Romanesque period. The exterior certainly provides the evidence in the form of the thick walls and the very solid Vitturi Tower, the latter being practically windowless. Any windows associated with the tower are arched.
The completion of the monastery during the Gothic would mean this period is also represented on its exterior. This may have continued during renovations completed in the 14th Century. The southern facade has lower level arch windows decorated with pilasters and the central colonette to separate the window space into two parts. The upper level windows display the Gothic ogee arch.
The Bell Tower was constructed during the Renaissance period of the 16th Century. The staged Bell Tower has narrow Gothic windows while the windows in the Lantern returned to the classical arches but with extensive tracery. The Renaissance isn’t known for its tracery.
Within the monastery grounds the rounded arches of the colonnades are supported by columns capped with capitals with acanthus leaves. A relief from any ambiguity. You might enjoy the following imported image.
TimeTravelRome, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
References point to the Baroque interior of the Monastery of St Nicholas and valuable artworks so it is worth a look as a comparison with the classical architecture that has been discussed to date.
The Riva
The Riva
The South Gate opens to a broad waterfront promenade which offers a change in views and spirits. Cafes and restaurants line the concourse and sea craft of all types are moored to the pier. The buildings that line the concourse continue the theme of changing styles due to successive rulers and cultures during the mediaeval. So as you walk along the Riva, note the window architecture on some of the buildings. It is the most observable evidence that change has occurred.
The Lucic Palace
A slow stroll along the waterfront allows attention to be drawn to the Lucic Palace ((Palača Lucić)) and on the opposite corner, the Monastery and Church of St Dominic.
The Palace was originally the residence of the prominent Lucic family. Petar Lukic was the author of the first Croatian book of songs. Petar also published a book of Roman inscriptions from Dalmatia, including the inscriptions collected by the poet and writer Marco Muralec who was recognized as the “Father of Croatian Literature” and the national poet of Croatia. Petar’s son also occupied the Lucic Palace. Ivan was a lawyer and historian who developed scientific methodologies to critically examine historical sources, documents, and inscriptions in Croatian history.
Lucic Palace was a Renaissance building during the 15th Century, apparently having been rebuilt from an earlier style. If so, it would most likely have been late Romanesque. The building was renovated in 1910 which altered its original Renaissance appearance. .
The Lucic Palace has been described as neo-Gothic. We can’t help but to refer back to our description of the basic form of a Renaissance building used to describe the Town Hall building.
“The Town Hall has now clean lines and façade. Rational design has taken precedence over embellishment. This style has returned to the deliberate, harmonious, precise and symmetrical layout of the classical. All the elements appear to mirror each other, uninterrupted by projecting or distracting ornamentation. The whole intention is to project grandeur and permanence.”
When we look the Lucic Palace, we see the same form. Although it does not appear that the front portal was intended as an entablature, we do see a building where a ribbon separates the bottom floor from the floors above – a traditional renaissance feature. In fact, if we simply took out all the ogee windows on the building’s façade and replaced them with windows featuring semi-circular arches so that the windows in the second floor match the windows on the ground floor, we would very nearly have a renaissance building, And certainly, if we remove the elaborate, almost Baroque-like pediment that sits above the balcony and replace it with something more remotely related to a renaissance pediment, it’s very difficult to see how this facade could be anything but Renaissance.
The Lucić Palace has historically been associated with the Petar Berislavić Elementary School. Today, its a public building which also provides cultural services, such as library, music school and civil departments.
St Dominic’s Church and Monastery
St Dominic’s Church and Monastery are located on the Riva waterfront opposite the Lucic Palace.
The Monastery and Church of St Dominic was founded in 1265. The church was completed in 1370 and the monastery was built in 1425. We would therefore expect to see evidence of Romanesque and Renaissance influences.
The very formidable rectilinear structure of St Dominic’s Church is associated with the Romanesque. The absence of buttressing along the long walls tells us that the load of the overhead is being supported by the walls, which we conclude must be thick and heavy. The arched windows favour classical builds, whether Romanesque or Renaissance.
The steeple has a enclosed tower with very few arched windows. This, along with the very small apertures for ventilation or viewing supports its Romanesque origins. The arches on the lantern without embellishment or ornamentation is pre-Baroque and favours Renaissance modification. Apparently the church has a Baroque interior.
Peter Berislavic Elementary School
The Peter Berislavic Elementary School can cause a little confusion. It can be confused with the Lucic Palace because identifiers such as Google maps don’t give it its own icon but rather show it in the vicinity of the Lucic Palace. It has been misunderstood by some that the school and palace are one and the same. The Lucic Palace is not associated with the school named after Petar Beraslavic.The school is housed in a beautifully preserved building featuring Venetian architecture that was constructed in 1910 on the site of a church that was destroyed by fire.
The Kamerlengo Fortress
The Kamerlengo Fortress
The Kamerlengo Fortress was erected soon after 1420 when Trogir became subject to the Republic of Venice. The Fortress is an extension of a previous fortification that occupied the same site. It predictably served from the fifteenth century to protect Trogir from any threat, principally the Ottoman Empire, that may have appeared from the Kanal, as well as providing a residence and administrative centre for city governance. In fact, the Fortress was designed to house Venetian mercenaries and their kamerlengo (governor), a high-ranking administrative official. Originally, the fortress was surrounded by a wet moat and on the north and east sides there was a wide mound providing defence. The main entrance stood on the north side and had a drawbridge.
The robust and solid Kamerlengo Fortress was designed to defend primarily against the Ottoman Empire
The Tower of St Mark
The St Mark Tower is situated on the north-west part of Trogir. It is a stronghold built in the channel towards the mainland. Its construction began in 1470 by the Venetian Republic but it was finished only at the end of the 15th century. Originally the Tower, almost surrounded by water, strategically connected the northern town wall to the western town wall in the direction of the Kamerlengo Fortress.
St Mark’s Tower is a 15th century Renaissance-style defensive tower. The Tower was originally constructed as part of Trogir’s city fortifications as a lookout and defensive post against Ottoman attacks. The tower has two stories with walls up to three metres thick and was designed to withstand cannon fire. The stone staircase shown in the image leads to the arched entrance of the second storey which was decorated by a Renaissance coat of arms.
The tower has in the past been used for recreation but is now a historical landmark.
The Monument Marmont
The Monument Marmont is located at the end of the promenade overlooking the water. A little further on travellers will easily identify the Tower of St Mark and the remnants of the city walls. Marmont’s Gloriate is a protected cultural monument built in 1808 as a tribute to French Marshal Auguste de Marmont, who governed Dalmatia during the Napoleonic era, but it originally stood on a small bridge connecting to the mainland surrounded by water. The structure is a classical-style hexagonal pavilion to honour Marmont’s contribution during the pre-French occupation.
When the sun goes down on balmy summer evenings the monument is an ideal place to sit quietly, stare across the water and enjoy the peace of Trogir.
The Urban Landscape
One of the unheralded highlights of visiting Trogir is just to simply walk through the Old Town along its narrow, mediaeval passages. The limestone streets, lanes and passages are organised orthogonally (perpendicularly), as are many of the similar old towns of the various countries along the Adriatic coastline. Some however, have a circular arrangement. The Greeks favoured rectilinear designs almost exclusively in their construction of buildings, roads and lanes. Curves and arches arrived with the Romans. Nevertheless, a wander through Trogir is a walk through history. The architectural style is almost invisibly transcribed on each building and varies from Romanesque to Gothic to Renaissance in almost correlation with the changes in occupation from the Ottomans, Hungarians, Venetians and Hungarians. When everyone converges to the restaurants, cafes and bars that decorate the wide seaside promenade, all will be satisfied to have spent the day in an authentic mediaeval venue.
The Drive from Split to Trogir
Trogir is an easy drive or bus ride from Split and so is ideal for a day trip. There are two alternative routes to drive from Split to Trogir. The most convenient is to take the Ivana Pavia II, a multi-laned motorway. The alternative is more interesting. The Cesta Dr Franje Tudmana is a dual carriage road through the intervening coastal suburbs. The road passes through the historic suburb of Kastela, formerly a town, which is situated on the Bay of Kaštela. A bus from Split to Trogir also follows this route. The suburb is named ‘Kastela’ because the town has about 7 castles within its boundary. The castles are named Sucurac, Gomilica, Kambelovac, Luksic, Stari, Novi and Stafilic. A feature of the area is the masonry that is displayed on many of the houses.
Conclusion to Trogir: What to See In This Captivating Medieval Old Town
A visit to Trogir Old Town should be on everyone’s schedule if visiting Croatia It is a authentic memory of life during the middle ages in Croatia having survived Ottoman invasion and occupation by the Venetians and Austro-Hungarians. It displays an evolution of architecture and urban infrastructure that is consisted with the flow of change that also occurred across the rest of Europe. The attractions of Trogir Old Town more than recommend it as a place to visit.
The drive through Croatia now changes focus to natural wonders. The drive from Split to Dubrovnik first visits the exceptionally pretty pirate town of Omis and then the sinkhole attractions of Imtoski.
This post :
The Mediaeval Coastal Town Trogir
followed by :
Discover Omis for Pirate History, Coastal Fun And Rugged Landscape
The Imotski Sinkholes And The Drive From Omis
