Good morning! Today, we started the next two-week leg of our Mediterranean cruise! All our stops, the previous two weeks, have been fabulous and we are looking forward to the rest of the cruise! We have made our way overnight to the port at Split, Croatia. First, we will be traveling seventeen miles to Čiovo, a small island off the mainland of Croatia. The city of Trogir, population 10,000, is on the gateway island between Croatia and the larger island of Čiovo and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site noted for its fine Greek, Roman and Venetian architecture. Let’s get a move on, we have lots to see today!

Here is a map of Croatia so you can follow along………….from Split to Trogir!

Once off the bus that brought us here, there is a small pedestrian-only bridge to get into the historic city. I don’t see any cars! But first, there is refreshment to be had! And a look round before we cross over…….

On this map you can see the most famous architectural sites on the island; Saint Lawrence Cathedral and the Castle/Fort Kamerlengo. What will we see in between?

Here is where you leave your car!

There is a big boat population here………

From this side, we get a glance at one of the ten churches to be found on the island.

Let’s go through the city gate!

Trogir is a small warren of streets…………..

Interspersed with places to sit and enjoy a drink…….and just take it all in………… Look up……..

and down……..

The Greeks were here first, followed by the Romans and then the Venetians set up for four hundred years…… You wouldn’t want to lean too heavily on that spiked door!

Bell towers and clocks are everywhere you look…..

I think that sign says cathedral……..

There are lions outside St Lawrence Cathedral, which was built on the foundations of an Early Christian church, that was destroyed in the 12th century during the sack of the town by the Saracens in 1123.  The building of the cathedral by the Venetians began in 1213 and was not completed until the 17th century.  The local architect and sculptor, Radovan, worked on the main west portal early in its construction.  Finished and signed by Radovan, it is considered a very unique work by a Croatian artist and the inscription at the base of the window says: “the best of all in this artisanship.” The portal is divided into two parts: the upper and lower. The upper part shows the scenes from the Life of Christ and on the lunette, is the Nativity with Angels overhead. On the interior of the doorposts are scenes of work done during different seasons of the year. Radovan’s pupils and followers finished up the church.

The Doorpost Seasons represent the calendar.

January- Feasting

February-Sitting by the Fire

March- Pruning Trees or Digging

April- Planting, Enjoying the Countryside or Picking Flowers

May- Hawking, Courtly Love

June- Hay Harvest

July- Wheat Harvest

August- Wheat Threshing

September- Grape Harvest

October- Ploughing or Sowing

November- Gathering Acorns for Pigs

December- Killing Pigs, Baking

On the exterior doorpost the saints and apostles are represented and the interior posts are decorated with exotic figures and fantastic creatures. Both the internal and external doorposts rest on the back of bent over bearers.  Adam and Eve stand on the backs of two lions, and as we learned in Hvar, lions always represented the Venetians.

and inside the cathedral is this…………..

I loved the candles on the hanging cross……..

and this cross……..

Different heads looking backwards and forward……how many are there? Are they the workers, who made the Cathedral?

and the marble floor is impressive too! How many people have walked on this floor? And, I’m one of them………..

Leaving the church, we see ornate painted circles……

Walking around the city………..This was one of my favorite photos in Trogir…….isn’t it beautiful?

and walking around we saw all the food……..oh my, the bakeries………

the cafes and bars………

the gigantic pizzas……….

and the juice bars………

Just the perfect city in a beautiful spot of the world……..

and making our way to the end of the island……..

and out through another gate……

We can see Fort Kamerlengo from here…..

Trogir is a must-see site in Croatia…..  We are certainly ticking off the UNESCO sites on this cruise. I would come back to Croatia and Trogir in a heartbeat.  The best time to visit Trogir is after Easter, because many of the restaurants and churches are closed during the winter. We have to say goodbye for now, as we have many more destinations on our stop here. What will we see next?

PS, My Featured Photo shows you should never throw away a good straw hat!