SPLIT, Croatia FACES on Saint James Cath

THE CATHEDRAL SQUARE
All important social and political events in the history of the town were taking place in this square. In the earliest days of its historical development meeting of national assemblies were held there, sentences passed and punishments executed on this square. In various historical periods many representative buildings of civil and ecclesiastical authorities were built around the square: the Duke's palace, the Town Hall, the Bishop's palace and the St. James Cathedral. The rest of the buildings surrounding the square are very representative and have the function of making it more beautiful.

In the 16th century the representative high-Renaissance Town Hall was built opposite the cathedral. During bombardments in World War II the Town Hall was completely ruined. After the war it was reconstructed.

In the east side of the square just beside the Town Hall there is the palace Tobolovic and the Renaissance Mala loda is situated on its ground-floor. This area is well determined by two arches on the pillars towards the square and one arch facing the street. Legal proceedings and trials were held in Mala loda and one of the pillars served as the pillar of shame for all those who were sentenced to be exposed in public and discredited in front of the citizens.

Opposite to the west façade of the Cathedral there are two stone houses (remnants of the Romanesque windows and doors could hardly be seen on their walls). Till the end of the 19th century the medieval tower Teodosevic was also there beside the mentioned houses.

Originally it was used for defense purposes and later on as the belfry of the Cathedral. Below the tower towards the sea the church of Sv. Roko was built in the 17th century. The Bishop's palace from the 15th century was reconstructed in the 16th and the 19th century. The Gothic triphors could be seen on the facade towards the sea and in the atrium. In the court there is a high relief of Sv. Mihovil, patron saint of Sibenik and its diocese.

In the vicinity of the Cathedral and outside the medieval ramparts there is a water-supply object - the town cistern called Cetiri bunara (Four wells) which was very important in the past. The cistern was built in the middle of the 5th century. It had four well openings which were carved in 16th century by Andrija Masticevic, a stone-mason of Zadar. It was built by the famous cistern constructor Jakov Corror who built the cathedral of Korcula too. The works were supervised by Juraj Dalmatinac, the constructor of the famous Cathedral of Sibenik. Just above the town cistern there is the Pelegrini palace (Tambaca)

A representative block of buildings built in the 15th and the 16th century can be seen after the Pelegrini palace. These buildings are characterized by the Gothic windows which have been preserved. The buildings closer to the square have Renaissance windows with arches and very representative gates. The Gothic gate to the west of the complex is really outstanding and it was built by Juraj Dalmatinac himself (who the region is named after).Read more