Split’s octagonal-shaped cathedral was originally built as Diocletian’s mausoleum, encircled by 24 columns, that is almost completely preserved to this day. Its round domed interior has two rows of Corinthian columns and a frieze showing Emperor Diocletian and his wife. Note that admission to the cathedral also gets you free access to the Temple of Jupiter and its crypt. For 35KN, you can get a ticket that includes access to all these highlights.
The oldest monuments in the cathedral are the remarkable scenes from the life of Christ on the wooden entrance doors. Carved by Andrija Buvina in the 13th century, the scenes are presented in 28 squares, 14 on each side, and recall the fashion of Romanesque miniatures of the time.
Notice the right altar carved by Bonino da Milano in 1427 and the vault above the altar decorated with murals by Dujam Vušković. To the left is the altar of St Anastasius (Sveti Staš; 1448) by Dalmatinac, with a relief of The Flagellation of Christ, which is one of the finest sculptural works of its time in Dalmatia.
The choir is furnished with 13th-century Romanesque seats that are the oldest in Dalmatia. Cross the altar and follow the signs to the treasury, rich in reliquaries, icons, church robes, illuminated manuscripts and documents in Glagolitic script. Part of the same structure, the Romanesque belfry was constructed between the 12th and 16th centuries and reconstructed in 1908 after it collapsed. Notice the two lion figures at the foot of the belfry and the Egyptian black-granite sphinx dating from the 15th century BC on the right wall. South of the mausoleum, there are remains of the Roman baths, a Roman building with a mosaic and the remains of the imperial dining hall, in various stages of preservation.
