 |
|
 |
 |
|
 |
| |
History of Trogir
|
TROGIR is a small town, port and summer resort, located in the Split-Dalmatian County at the west entrance to the Bay of Kaštela at an altitude of approx. 1 meter above sea level. The town itself is situated on a small island in the strait between the Island of Čiovo and the mainland with which it is connected by two bridges. It is connected to all Dalmatian towns by the Adriatic Highway, and the Airport of Split is located in its very vicinity - just four kilometres east of it, in Divulje.
Trogir is predominantly a tourist destination, with a mild Mediterranean climate. The Trogir Riviera is rich with |
 |
| numerous bays, capes, coves, such as the Old Trogir Cove with its pebble, sand or rocky beaches, the Voluja Cove, the Vela Rina Cove on the Island of Mali Drvenik, the Krknjaši Cove on the Island of Veli Drvenik, the St. Fumija area - a little island southwest of Čiovo, the Saldun Cove, Racetinovac, Kancelirovac on the west part of the island of Čiovo, and the Pantana area with a well, creek and a beach east of Trogir. This area is predominantly covered with Mediterranean vegetation, vineyards, fig-trees, carob-trees, olive-trees, larger patches of Alepian pine, aromatic herbs and immortelle, garden-sage, and is very suitable for trips, cruises and other types of fun at sea. Another attractive tourist site is a hamlet called Baradići in the village of Seget Gornji, with its well-preserved authentic rural architecture and a gorgeous belvedere overseeing the Mid-Dalmatian islands. Trogir has a population of about 13000 inhabitants who work in shipbuilding, the tourism industry, agriculture and fish industry. |
|
Trogir has a long and a tumultuous history. The wealth of its archaeological findings show an uninterrupted continuity of habitation from prehistory to today; there are traces of life in this area dating from the year 2000 B.C. The ancient Greeks founded a colony called Tragurion on the foundations of an older Illyrian settlement during the 3rd/2nd century B.C. The marble relief showing Kairos, a divine figure, dates from that time (4th/3rd century B.C.). During the 1st century B.C., this Illyrian-Greek settlement became a Roman municipality, called Tragurium, and was renowned for its stone.
Trogir is one of the rare Dalmatian towns that managed to escape interruptions to its urban life continuity, unlike the adjacent town of Salona, which was run down during the Avarian and Slavic invasions at the beginning of the 7th century. Trogir extended its continuity within Dalmatia under the Byzantine rule. The town was then inhabited by Croats; Croatian dukes founded their estates in Bijaći and built the Church of St. Martha. On the antique landscape of the town, on the foundations of early-Christian churches, early-medieval churches were built, adorned with ancient Croatian wicker ornaments, as well as numerous early-medieval houses.
The Church of St. Barbara (formerly the Church of St. Martha) is the most fascinating early-medieval church dating from the 11th century. Remnants of St. Mary's Church, a six-leaf church dating from that period, are preserved at the southeast rim of the square, the sacral art museum lobby. |
|
|
|
| |
| From the 12th century, Trogir was gradually transformed into an autonomous commune, which recognized the rule of the distant Hungarian-Croatian kings. This was the period of great prosperity for the town, the period when the walls were built, as well as the Cathedral, the monasteries and numerous houses, all built in Romanesque style. The Cathedral, its portal created by Radovan the artisan, who was also its architect, stands out in particular. He also created the portal on the Church of John the Baptist, formerly a distinguished male Benedictine monastery. The St. Dominic |
 |
Dominican monastery, dating from the period of 14th - 15th century, features a mounted artefact collection. From 1420, Trogir came under Venetian rule. Construction of many buildings and forts continued because of the fear of Turks. The Kamerlengo Castle and St. Mark's Tower were finished. The main town square, which has had that same role ever since the Greek period (Greek agora, Roman forum) until today, features the most monumental buildings: St. Lawrence Cathedral, Communal Palace, Church of St. Sebastian with the town clock, loggia, and Little and Great Ćipiko Palace standing over it.
The most valuable building from the 15th century is Great Palace of Ćipiko located right across from the Cathedral. Nikola Firentinac, Ivan Duknović and Andrija Aleši worked on its ornamentation. Together they built and ornamented the Renaissance-style chapel of Blessed John of Trogir. The Communal Palace is located on the east side of the square (Duke's Court), built in Renaissance style, and was first mentioned in the 13th century. The town loggia - cloister is located on the south side, dating from the 14th century and it served as a court. The south gates to the town, dating from 1573, are also preserved; they extol the town, which was a Roman town at the time, and its famous people. Alongside the gates, there is a loggia - cloister, which was used by travellers who arrived too late to come in. Nearby there is a female monastery complex, the Benedictine monastery of St. Nicholas - Kairos museum, whose monastic tradition dates from the 11th century. The statue of St. John stands over the north town gates, guarding the entrance to the town. The Garagnin Fanfogna Palace complex is located nearby - today The Museum of Trogir. |
|
After the fall of Venice in 1797, Trogir was in a state of anarchy until the Austrian army arrived. During the short French rule (1806-1814), roads were built, some Croatian schools were opened, and the walls surrounding the town were torn down due to hygiene concerns. From 1814 to 1918 Trogir was once again under the Austrian rule - the seaside courthouse and school date from that period.
The period between the two World Wars, during the old Yugoslavia, is marked with social turbulence. After the fall of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the people of Trogir participated in the national-liberation war. The periods of FNR Yugoslavia and SFR Yugoslavia followed after the liberation. Trogir finally welcomed the independence of the state of Croatia in 1990. This entire long history is still recognizable in the town's cultural inventory, from its urban plan, architecture, culture, to art and artistic trade.
The historical core of Trogir is a unique monument of culture, and was therefore included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1997. The urban and architectural plan of Trogir has kept its basic medieval structural elements of a fortified town, the typical composition of streets and squares, the representative sacral and secular public facilities and a condensed myriad of other buildings. Regardless of the architectural value of some of its specific facilities, Trogir is most of all, remarkably valuable as a whole, with its many messages - artistic, cultural-historical and represents one of the most important cultural assets in Croatia, as well as the whole world. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
| Art Exhibition |
|
| ANTE KARANUŠIĆ |
|
|
 |
