Croatia

Two backpackers and their dog wait for the public ferry in Split, Croatia in view of the yachts and luxury cruise ships. AIMG_4231

Split, Croatia is one of the oldest cities in Dalmatian Coast. In the 6th century BC, the Greek colony of Aspálathos was founded and Roman emperor Diocletian built his palace here in AD 305. AIMG_4228

Trogir, Croatia has a long history. "In the 3rd century BC, Tragurion was founded by Greek colonists from the island of Vis, and it developed into a major port until the Roman period. . . . From the 9th century on, Trogir paid tribute to Croatian rulers. The diocese of Trogir was established in the 11th century (abolished in 1828; it is now part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Split-Makarska) and in 1107 it was chartered by the Hungarian-Croatian king Coloman, gaining thus its autonomy as a town. In 1123 Trogir was conquered and almost completely demolished by the Saracens. However, Trogir recovered in a short period to experience powerful economic prosperity in the 12th and the 13th centuries. In 1242 King Béla IV found refuge there as he fled the Tatars. In the 13th and the 14th centuries, members of the Šubić family were most frequently elected dukes by the citizens of Trogir; Mladen III (1348), according to the inscription on the sepulchral slab in the Cathedral of Trogir called "the shield of the Croats", was one of the most prominent Šubićs. In Dalmatian, the city was known as Tragur. . . . On the fall of Venice in 1797, Trogir became a part of the Habsburg Empire which ruled over the city until 1918, with the exception of French occupation from 1806 to 1814. After World War I, Trogir, together with Croatia, became a part of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs and subsequently the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. During this period Italian citizens, until 1918 the ruling class and almost half part of the population, were forced to leave for Italy. During World War II, Trogir was occupied by Italy and subsequently liberated in 1944. Since then it belonged to the second Yugoslavia, and from 1991 to Croatia." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trogir AIMG_4255

"The Cathedral of St. Lawrence (Croatian: Katedrala Sv. Lovre) is a Roman Catholic triple-naved basilica constructed in Romanesque-Gothic in Trogir, Croatia. . . . The present building was begun in 1213 and finished during the 17th century. . . . Work on the bell tower began at the end of the 14th century, but it was not completed until the end of the 16th century. " en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trogir_Cathedral AIMG_4258

Trogir, Croatia is a medieval town on the Adriatic coast of Croatia. AIMG_4258

Trogir, Croatia is a medieval town on the Adriatic coast of Croatia. "In architecture, a tympanum (plural, tympana) is the semi-circular or triangular decorative wall surface over an entrance, bounded by a lintel and arch. It often contains sculpture or other imagery or ornaments. Most architectural styles include this element. In ancient Greek and Roman and in Christian architecture tympana usually contain religious imagery." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tympanum_ (architecture) AIMG_4293

Trogir, Croatia is a medieval town on the Adriatic coast of Croatia. AIMG_4296

As I was returning to Split, Croatia from the town of Trogir by bus, I saw this odd white elephant perched on the green building. I have no Idea why it was there, but it certainly is unusual. AIMG_4307

Diocletian's Palace in Split, Croatia was built by Roman emperor Diocletian at the beginning of the 4th Century as a retirement home. The Romans eventually abandonned the palace and in the 7th century, local residents occupied it to escape from the barbarians. It has remained occupied since then. The enormous basement filled with trash until it was excavated in the middle of the 20th Century to reveal amazingly thick walls and vaulted ceilings. AIMG_4321