Time Travel in Trogir

Croatia is amazing. Once in school I heard that there still were a few medieval buildings surviving in Dubrovnik. When I visited there, I found that the whole medieval town still lay intact within its walls. I had a similar experience today in the Croatian town of Trogir. Around 1000 A.D. residents built a town on a tiny island with a diameter of only three hundred meters. They surrounded it with a defensive wall which served them well until Napoleon destroyed it in the early nineteenth century. The town has never been attacked, and all of its medieval buildings are still intact. The local cathedral is named for Saint Lawrence, but as much attention is given to a well-loved bishop of the town known as Blessed John. Though never officially canonized, local parishioners attributed a number of miracles to this loving eleventh-century pastor. The church was an interesting mixture of Roman and Byzantine elements. Part of the nave was reconstructed in the 15th century and shows a distinct Baroque influence. Over its long history the church has incorporated several different styles, but remarkably they all seem to fit together wonderfully in this beautiful building.

A quartet serenaded us with a typical local song in a style designated as “friends singing.” Although our guide gave us the Croatian name for it, I am unable to reproduce the word. My thumbs cannot type that many consecutive consonants.

The Central town Square is built directly over the ancient Roman forum, and it, in turn, was built directly over the ancient Greek agora.

We spent a delightful morning in this ancient town. Croatia is a place of unparalleled natural beauty. Added to that is the historical richness of the place. It is remarkable that so little attention has been paid to this part of the world. Its history is as rich as that of Greece or Rome, and the natural beauty of the Adriatic Sea here exceeds the beauty of the Mediterranean Riviera. For the time being, at least, Croatia, Serbia, and Montenegro have put aside their differences. Our hope is that the warring factions in this small part of the world can continue to live in peace.Read more