Both the civil and the religious heritage of the ancient Salona have been particularly important for the historical development of Spilt since ' the very beginning. The refugees from the conquered and devastated Salona fled from their native town to take shelter behind the mighty walls of the imperial Palace, where the organization of urban life started to develop since 7th century. They had worshipped their martyr saints at Salona, so they transferred their relics to the new site, upon their arrival. One of those martyrs, St. Domnio, was chosen to be the patron saint of the city of Split. The cult of the Virgin Mary, once worshipped at Salona, has been followed here, in a new place of residence, therefore, the local cathedral, previously Diocletian's Mausoleum, was consecrated to Virgin Mary very early, probably in 7th century. In the early Middle Ages, the organization and the management of each city, and its autonomy were mainly based on religious heritage. The Church of Split, owing to the religious heritage of the Salona diocese and its rights, was promoted into an Archdiocese during the synods that took place in Split in 925 and 928 A.D. The Archbishop was John, a son of Tordakat (Twtko?), born, brought up and educated in Split, whose sarcophagus with carved inscription is still preserved.

Reconstruction of Diocletian's mausoleum with the sarcophagus, Emeror's burial place, in the middle of it (E. Hebrard, 1912)

DIOCLETIAN'S PALACE a Diocletian's Palace is among the best preserved monuments of the Roman building heritage in the world.. Owing to the research done during zoth century by an Austrian G. Niemann and by a French E. Rerbrard, based on the previous research done by an Englishman R. Adam in 58th century, the original layout of the Palace has been disclosed. More systematic research and study of the Palace have been conducted since tp5os. The imperial palace has been constructed as an appropriate interpolation of various contents of a luxtirious villa - the Emperor's summer residence into the scheme of a Roman military camp (castrum), divided into four quarters by two main streets. There were Emperor's quarters situated in the southern section of the Palace, and it was the place where all official and religious ceremonies took place, while, on the other hand, the lodgings of the servants, Emperor's guard and soldiers were situated in the northern section, where the warehouses and the workshops were also located. The Palace is a rectangular building (some 215m by i8o m), with four big towers at its corners, with four gates on each side and four small towers on its walls. There are no openings on the lower parts of the walls, while, on the upper parts there is a monumental porch on the south side, and there are arcades on the other three sides. During the following centuries, the residents of the Palace and the citizens of the city have adapted this space for their needs, and so both the buildings within the Palace and the external walls with towers have greatly changed their original appearance. The extensions added along the eastern and the northern wall of the Palace during the following centuries, were demolished after the World War 2, so the original appearance of the Palace was revealed.

BASEMENT HALLS The ground - floor halls and the corridors of Diocletian's Palace (more commonly called the Basement), which can be reached either by a gate leading from the water-front or by the steps leading from Peristyle, the central square of the Palace, were originally the supporting substructure of the Emperor's residential quarters, and, consequently, they reflect the layout of the upper floor. In fact, the layout of the basement halls is an identical projection of the upper-floor halls. The basement substructure enabled the elevation of the Emperor's Palace above the sea level, so the big porch of the southern facade could be adequately exposed to the sun and summer breeze. The whole space of the substructure has not been changed throughout the past centuries; only few Interventions have been virtually made there, e.g some partition walls were either erected or pulled down. The basement halls were used for various practical purposes, so the press, probably used either for grapes or olives, dating back to the early Middle Ages, has been preserved until the present day. Since the city was developing above the substructure level, the basement halls were gradually being filled up with debris and other waste material, and. so they became Inaccessible In the course of time. Some fifty years ago, the more comprehensive and more systematic works of cleaning and rehabilitation of the substructure were started. Therefore, the substructure space is nowadays being used as the site for different activities i.e. exhibitions, concerts, theater performances, trade fairs etc. The large central hail In the axis of the Palace is an Important urban communication passage, as It connects the waterfront with Peristyle.

RIVA
The steep cliffs jutting out above the sea, and bordering the shoreline have formed the small coves in the harbour of Split. One has been formed exactly in front of the Palace, and two other ones to the west and tot the east of the Palace, respectively. The site of Diocletian's Palace had been laid out following the original configuration of the terrain, so the facade of the Palace was protected from the south-wind waves by the promontory of the eastearn cove. In 1986, the stone blocks of the Roman quay were excavated on the site in front of the Palace. (The Roman quay can be even seen on the cadastral maps of Split dating back in 1831). In the Middle Ages there was a small pier right in front of the southern gate of the Palace, where the ships coming to the Split harbour were moored.
Among the first medieval structures erected at the waterfront, close to the Palace, was the wall running from the southeastern tower of the Palace (so called Archbishop's Tower) towards the seafront, and which was mentioned in the municipal Statute from 1312. The similar wall was erected to the west of it, so the whole space in front of the Palace, i.e. the city itself was protected by walls.
As Split was developing toward the west, there was another gate that was leading to the city harbour, opened by the western tower of the Palace, so called Sea gate or Porta Marina. On the other hand, the Gate of the grotto, the most ancient passage to the seafront dating from Roman times, and located in the middle of the southern facade, was still used during the Middle Ages.
In 15th century, during the Venetian rule, the Venetian garrison was housed in a newly erected Castle (Citadel) on Riva, similar to those that had already been built in all other major cities on the coast. Thus, the Venetian government protected the city and ensured itself against possible riots incited by discontented citizens.

Riva got its present appearance In the early igth century, in the period of the French rule. It was extended and gravelled then, and a series of houses, bearing some characteristic architectural features of that period, was erected. Some of them have been well-preserved up to the present time.

THE CASTLE (CITADEL)
The development of the cities on the eastern coast of the Adriatic, among which the city of Split has an outstanding position, has mainly depended not only on good relations with their neighbours, on trade and economic cooperation with other Adriatic and Mediterranean cities, but also on interests that Venetian Republic has had for them. The Venetian Republic had a very privileged position at that time, having developed comprehensive trade both with the Orient and with the Central Europe, and having an aspiration to conquer all the cities along the
eastern coast from Istria, in the north, to Greece, in the south. Its aspiration was realized in the early 15th century, when not only Split but also some other cities were submitted to the Venetian rule. 10
In spite of this fact, the Venetian rule brought significant prosperity to the city, considering both the economic aspect and the urban development one. A considerable building activity was noted at that time. On one hand, the new city walls, the palaces of the noblemen, and the mansion houses of the wealthy citizens (Papalis, D'Agubio, Cambi) were being erected, while, on the other hand, the Duke's Palace and the City Hall were erected on the Square of St.Lawrence. The Venetian garrison was housed in a newly erected Castle (Citadel) on Riva, similar to those that had already been built in all other major cities on the coast. Thus, the Venetian government ensured itself against possible riots incited by discontented citizens.
The most eminent sculptors of the period, such as Juraj Dalmatinac (George the Dalmatian) and his disciples, then Andrija Aleši, Nicholas from Florence and many other architects, stone- masons, and painters, worked in Split at that time. They were commissioned by wealthy citizens to build palaces, churches and houses; to make churchi altars, church sculptures and paintings and other pieces of work. The cultural life of Split, in 15th and 16th century, was marked by the activity of the Literary Circle, animated by poet Marko Marulić, a Humanist and the author of religious treatises of European reputation.

TEMPLES
There were three temples in Diocletian's Palace, located in its western section, opposite of the Emperor's Mausoleum. The main temple is characterized by the original pantheistic Roman religious conception illustrated by the figures of the following gods and goddesses Jupiter (the chief Roman deity), Hercules (the son of Jupiter), Sol (the god of Sun), Nike (the winged goddess of victory), as well as the figures of masquerons, giants and fantastic animals carved on the lintels and on the door - posts of the main entrance. This temple is among the best preserved Roman temples in the world, and it is particularly valuable because of the well- preserved vaulted ceiling.
In the Middle Ages, this temple was transformed into the baptistery of St. John, while the crypt under it was converted into the church of St. Thomas. In 11th and early 12th century, a bell-tower was erected above the temple, similar to the one that can be found on the Church of Our Lady of Bell-tower above the western gate of the Palace (Iron Gate) even today.
There were two other temples opposite this one, both having a circular ground-plan. The former one dedicated to the goddess Cybele, and the latter one to the goddess Venus. This can be concluded from the report written by the chancellor Antonius Proculianus in 1567, in which he described what he had found or seen and heard from the local inhabitants of that period. The foundations of these temples were unearthed during the sixties while the excavations were being carried out in order to rehabilitate the buildings constructed above them in the later periods.

THE SQUARE
Split, like the majority of the towns situated on the eastern coast of the Adriatic, developed into an important economic centre in the late 13th and the early 14th century, and, as a result of this economic boom, its own autonomous community- the civitas Spaleti, has been established. The Statute of the Municipality was published at that time, and the oldest preserved copy of the Statute today dates back to the year 1312. It was one of the most splendid periods in the history of Split, characterised by the prosperous communal
management: the city spread out of the core in the Palace, and the western suburb originally protected only by simple defensive walls of dry laid stones, became integrated with the core and the new defensive walls surrounding the whole city were erected. On the other hand, the other suburbs of the city which had been built in different styles, became an integrated urban structure with well- built houses, with palaces owned by the rich citizens and with well-defined and regulated street network.
At that time, the old defensive walls were stretching from the present Square of Preporod towards the north, to Obrov, and then to the east and towards the northwestern tower of the Palace. Within these limits, a new city square was formed: Platea sancti Laurentii, first mentioned in 1255. The Duke's Palace and the City Hall were erected on the square during the Venetian rule. Due to their deteriorated condition and since there was a need to have the square limits extended, both buildings were partly pulled down, and partly reconstructed in 19th century.
Another city square - the Peristyle - has become a religious center - St. Domnius' Square, since the city spread to the west. Consequently, the city of Split has an urban structure with two main squares, what was a common urban pattern of medieval cities.
At that time, the city of Split was divided in four districts (quarters), two of them were located in the core of the Palace (Saint Domnius and Saint Martin), and the other two were located in the new part of the city (Saint Mary and Saint Clare).

DIOCLETIAN'S PALACE
Diocletian's Palace is among the best preserved monuments of the Roman building heritage in the world. Owing to the research done during 20th century by an Austrian G. Niemann and by a French E. Herbrard, based on the previous research done by an Englishman R. Adam in 18th century, the original layout of the Palace has been disclosed. More systematic research and study of the Palace have been conducted since 1950s.
The imperial palace has been constructed as an appropriate interpolation of various contents of a luxurious villa - the Emperor's summer residence into the scheme of a Roman military camp (castrum), divided into four quarters by two main streets. There were Emperor's quarters situated in the southern section of the Palace, and it was the place where all official and religious ceremonies took place, while, on the other hand, the lodgings of the servants, Emperor's guard and soldiers were situated in the northern section, where the warehouses and the workshops were also located. The Palace is a rectangular building (some 215m by 180 m), with four big towers at its corners, with four gates on each side and four small towers on its walls. There are no openings on the lower parts of the walls, while, on the upper parts there is a monumental porch on the south side, and there are arcades on the other three sides. During the following centuries, the residents of the Palace and the citizens of the city have adapted this space for their needs, and so both the buildings within the Palace and the external walls with towers have greatly changed their original appearance.
The extensions added along the eastern and the northern wall of the Palace during the following centuries, were demolished after the World War 2, so the original appearance of the Palace was revealed.

"PISTURA" GATE
The first extension of the city was being built along the western walls of the Palace in 10th and 11th century. So, the West Gate (called Iron Gate) provided the link between the two parts of the city. On the other hand, the North Gate ceased to be in the function long ago, and it was blocked with a wall. The new extended zone was being surrounded by new defensive walls in 14th century, as well as in the following centuries,and two new gates were added - The Butchers' Gate, to the west, and The Sea Gate, to the south.
There was a small gate opened in the city wall on the north side of the street, running along the juxtaposed houses, and this gate was used as the main communication passage to the north, leading in the direction of Solin and Klis, after the town had been extended towards the west. During the Middle Ages, the city streets were formed in this extended zone, and in 13th and 14th century a few mansion houses of the wealthy citizens were erected, and some of them have been preserved until the present day.
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The Church of St. Euphemia was among the first churches built close to the Palace walls. It was first mentioned in a document reporting the establishing of a Benedictine nunnery, on that site, in 1609. Today, only the foundations of the church have been preserved. However, its original appearance has been known, owing to the drawings that had been made before the church was destroyed by the fire in 1878. In the late Middle Ages, a Chapel of the blessed Amerius, an archbishop of Split, was added to the south of the church. The most important feature of the chapel is a masterpiece altar with a relievo made by George the Dalmatian, a sculptor, in 1444-
2,
In 17th century, the bell-tower was erected close to the church and the nunnery, and it was incorporated in the walls surrounding the whole complex. Both the nunnery and the walls have been demolished in the period after the World War 2.

DEVELOPMENT OF TOWN

The origin of Split is the Diocletian Palace itself, which has been adapted both as a residential quarter to accommodate local citizens throughout the centuries, and for some other civil functions. The first civil residents of the Palace were the inhabitants of Salona who had fled from Salona in the early 7th century, threatened by the invasion of the Slavs. Some of them found shelter in the imperial palace and some of them sailed to the nearby islands. The edifices of the Palace have been constantly transformed to the new functions the Emperor's Mausoleum has become the Cathedral, and the Peristyle, the central part of the Palace, has become the main public square, the center of various civil, religious, public and administrative activities. The new city has been formed in a unique historical and architectural setting.

During 10th century, the city of Split began to spill out beyond the Palace walls. First to the west, and then even farther out from the Palace. Accordingly, during 12th and 13th century, the new urban area was twice as large as its original nucleus. The churches have been erected by the country roads leading to the landowners properties or to the villages around the city, representing specific spiritual as well as spatial landmarks in the environment. There are not only archeological remains left today, but also written records, dating from the later centuries. Some routes, even today, follow the original Roman territorial division from 1th century B.C., and have been maintained as important spatial elements throughout the centuries.
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In 14th century the west suburb was bordered by the new walls, having protected the city from the Turkish invasion in 16th and 17th century. The new defensive system was built around ella the city, pursuant to the military strategy of that period. The mansion houses of the wealthy citizens were erected in Romanesque and Gothic style in the new urban zone. At that time some of the churches and convents were incorporated in the new zone (St. Mary, St. Spirit).

During the time of the Venetian- Turkish wars, in 16th and 17th century, the city of Split was encircled by modern star-shaped bastions, for the purpose of defending the city. During the period of French administration in Dalmatia (early 19th century), certain parts of the bastions were pulled down, so the city could spread out of its boundaries towards the new free territory, in the fields surrounding the city.

VENETIAN BULWARKS
The period of 16th century was marked by the serious threat of Turkish invasion, so majority of the cities along the coast were/forded to build an efficient defensive system. When the Klis fortress was conquered in 1537, the city of Split was directly exposed to the threat. First step was taken to reconstruct the city walls and to strengthen the city defensive system which was completely transformed later, in 17th century, at the time of the War of Candia (1645- 1669). The system of fortifications was star-shaped one, comprising five bastions made of stone walls, filled with earth, constructed and designed by Venetian engineer A. Maglia. They were imposing fortifications- bullwarks with numerous trenches, artillery posts, sentry posts and defensive passages, having been in a fit state for immediate defense action. This model of a defensive system had been invented by the French marshal Sebastien Vauban (1633-1707), and was particularly used by the military strategists of the Venetian Republic, both in the eastern Mediterranean and along the Adriatic coast.

The city was also fortified with two other bastions, one on the hill Gripe, to the east of the city and another one to protect the entrance to the city harbour. These heavy and costly investments had used up all the financial resources of the city budget, which, in 17th and 18th century, were mainly used for the construction of some modest churches, mansions and for the construction and maintenance of the Lazarettos the quarantine for both the merchants and the goods passing through the Split harbour.

There have been some other rural settlements beyond these new fortifications, some of them located on the slopes of the Marjan hill, such as the Veli Varoš, partly demolished while the bastions were being erected, and, then the Lučac, located to the east, and the Manuš, located to the north of the city nucleus.

GOLDEN GATE
The northern gate of the Palace (called the Golden Gate) had been conceived as the main entrance to the Palace and so it had been elaborately decorated with statues of the Emperor Diocletian and his co- regent Maximilian, in the upper row of the niches, and with sculpture of an eagle a symbol of Jupiter, between the two. There were the statues of their two successors to the throne caesars Galerius and Constantine - in the lower row of the niches. This conclusion can be made on account of the imperial iconography pattern, effective at the time of tetrarchy (rule by four persons). On the top of the wall, there have been four pedestals preserved until the present day (while there were five of them on the drawings from the 18th century), that could have been used as a supporting base for statues, but it is unlikely to believe that the imperial figures would have been repeated twice on the same facade. So far there has not been a veritable explanation given for this double usage.

Above the Golden Gate, there was an Early Croatian Church of St. Martin built in the outer walls used by the sentry, probably in 6th century. This can be concluded by the patron saints, to whom the other gates of the imperial Palace had been dedicated: St. Theodore (The Western; Gate), St. Apollinaire (The Eastern Gate) and St. Julian (The Southern Gate). St. Martin was a patron saint of soldiers, like St. Theodore, and was worshipped in the Roman times, particularly in the West, during the rule of the Emperor Justinian (527-565). The small church in the corridor has been altered several times. The present appearance is a replica of the early Croatian church from 6th century, with an altar partition in pre- Romanesque style added in 11th century, which has been preserved at its original site until the present day This peculiarity ranks the small church of St. Martin among the best preserved sacral monuments of the ancient world. Today, this small church is an integral part of the Dominican nunnery.

LAZARETTOS
In the late 16th century, when the political, military and economic relations between Venice and Turkish Empire were relatively tranquil, Split became an important center of transitional trade with oriental hinterland. In 1581, on the initiative of a renowned Spanish Jew merchant Daniel Rodrigo, and having been authorised by the government of the Venetian Republic, the construction of the first lazaretto was started to be built in 1581, close to the southeastern tower of Diocletian's Palace, It was a complex of buildings containing warehouses for different merchandise, customs office, bank, and the quarantine where people and the merchandise that arrived to Split from various destinations where kept in isolation.

SILVER GATE
The Eastern Gate of Diocletian's Palace (so called Silver Gate) was dedicated to St. Apollinaire, a saint worshipped all over the Mediterranean world during the Early Christian period. The same as there had already been done above the northern and the western gate of Diocletian's Palace, the sentry corridor above this gate was also transformed into the church, probably in 6th century, so that the patron saint could protect the entrance to the city by his supernatural power. The wall structure and the gate itself were incorporated in the structure of other edifices in the course of the following centuries. Such is an example of the Church of Saints-innocents ("Dušice") which was demolished during the W.W.2.

The Silver Gate was reopened
in the early 1950s, after it had been unearthed to its original level, and restored to its original appearance, Many additional structures from the previous centuries, which had been juxtaposed to the eastern wall of the Palace, were removed on that occasion. Close to the Silver Gate, there was another small gate opened in the late Middle Ages, so called Venetian Gate. This small gate was used as the entrance to the city during the period when the Silver Gate was walled and covered by additional structures.
Opposite the Silver Gate, along the main city market place, there is the old Dominican church and monastery, dating from the first half of 17th century, which were constructed on the site of the previous ancient structures. At the turn of 19th century, the church was enlarged. Its actual appearance was contrived in the early thirties.
To the east of the Silver Gate, there is the city quarter Lučac, which used to be in the outskirts of the city, but it is wholly integrated with the city core nowadays.

MATEJUŠKA (ST. FRANCIS)
The Church of St. Francis, with its monastery, is the principal historical, sacral and architectural edifice in this part of the city. The whole complex was built above the Early Christian church, dating from 5th or 6th century, dedicated to St. Felix. According to the tradition, he was a Salona martyr from the 4th century. Thomas Archdeacon (1200- 1268), a local chronicler, recorded that the church was reconstructed by Ivan, the Archbishop of Split, in 11th century.
Upon their arrival in this region (early 13th century), the Franciscans, following the custom of that time, erected their own monastery and the church at the city borders, However, the church has chåanged its original appearance by considerable reconstruction in the late 19th century. In the meantime, a small cloister was built in the early 14th century, bearing Romanesque characteristics, and it has been well conserved until the present day. Recently, both the church and the monastery have been completely restored.

Among the works of art found
inside the church, the most valuable is the Crucifix painted by Blaž Jurjev of Trogir, from the early 15th century. Inside the church there are the tombs of some eminent citizens of Split, with the inscriptions carved on the tombstones, such as the tombs of Archdeacon Thomas (1200 - 1268), a chronicler; Marko Marulić (1450 - 1524), a writer; Ivan Lukačić (1587 - 1648), a composer; Jeronim Kavanjin (1643-1714), a poet; and Ante Trumbić (1864-1938), a local politician.
Particularly valuable are the documents kept in the archive and some old books kept in the rich monastery library which tell us about the life of the city and about many eminent persons from Croatian history who lived there. Take for example friar Bernardin of Split "Lectionary".

VAROŠ
The plebeian city quarters
populated by common people have been formed outside of the city core, at its three sides, without urban planning, usually following the configuration and the special characteristics of the terrain, in accordance with the medieval property regulations, or along the routes and roads and close to the churches which used to be landmarks of that time. Accordingly, the city quarter Veli Varoš has been formed to the west, the quarters Dobri and Manuš to the north, and the city quarter Lučac to the east of the city core. These city quarters developed during the period of first Turkish invasions in 16th
century, when they were first settled by refugees who had fled there from the inland seeking the shelter.
During the Middle Ages the city quarter Veli Varoš spread in a fan-like form on the eastern slope of the mount Marjan (178 m high). It was first mentioned in the early 15th century, in a matricula of Saint Cross fraternity under the name Zagrade or Borgo-Burgus. Veli Varoš was considerably destroyed during 17th century, when the star-shaped bastions were being built around the whole city in order to protect the city from the threatening Turkish invasion. Veli Varoš became an integral part of the city core in the beginning of the
century, and a small number of modest plebeian family houses, made of stone has been preserved until the present time.

There were a few small
churches built in the city quarter Varoš, such as St. Magdalene, St. Lucas, Our Lady of Soca, and one of the best preserved until the present time is St.Nicholas, dating from 11th century. According to the inscription engraved on a church ornament, a rich and respectable local citizen Ivan and his wife Tiha had it constructed in 11th century.