SPLIT, CROATIA

                                  Split is a City

            Split, with a population of 200,000, is Croatia’s largest city on the Adriatic Coast and the country’s second largest city. Founded in the 3^rd century, the picturesque ancient city lies between a high mountain range and the palm tree-lined waterfront pedestrian promenade. Strolling the waterfront or sitting in a café are popular pastimes. The ocean view includes sandy beaches, rocky cliffs and unspoiled islands. One of the sunniest spots in Europe, the   premier resort town has breath-taking views of beautiful blue Adriatic waters that contrast with high coastal mountains.

            The city is a living museum of classical and medieval architecture and archeology. Expanded industry, a shipyard, limestone quarry and a commercial-military port are all located on the north end of the city. An aqueduct built in the 3^rd century and repaired in the 19^th century is still in use supplying water for the entire city.

            Old town has two square-shaped sections; to the east is the Diocletian Palace and to the west lies the medieval town. The summer residence of Emperor Diocletian took ten years to build and was finished in 305. The UNESCO site was built as his retirement palace. In 600 AD, some 2000 people moved into the palace to establish the city of Split.

            One of the last buildings built by Romans, the palace is at the heart of Split’s history.  The fortress-like palace, with walls 590 feet by 705 feet, originally had 16 towers. One of the rectangle towers on the right is original. Small churches were built in several of the 16 wall towers and bell towers were added. Today 3000 people live and work within the palace walls. In the Middle Ages nobility and rich merchants built residences within the old palace walls. There are 200 buildings within the palace.

            Originally the palace south wall was at the water’s edge. Now reclaimed land provides  a wide street and a tree lined promenade, placing the palace several meters from the water.

            The Diocletian lived on the sea side of the palace with its 42 arched windows. Servants lived viewless on the inside. The front door was originally the back door, and when the water level was high it was only accessible by boat. The palace cellars, 305 AD, are Europe’s largest Roman underground structure.  Originally they held water, not liquor, and were built to level the lower first floor. Today it is a gallery for souvenir stands.

             Cathedral St. Domnus is located in the Peristyle, a square in the center of the palace.  Originally the octagon shaped structure was a mausoleum. After the fall of Rome, it was converted to a cathedral taking 300 years to complete.  Multi colored marble pillars highlight the baroque interior. The ornately carved Romanesque door dates to 1214. The cathedral remains in daily use. The church bell tower is 13^th century. The stone pulpit is unusual; the baroque altar is white marble. The   Golden Gate is the former main entrance. The entry vestibule to living quarters is impressive.  Emperors were believed to be gods, and called themselves Jovius, son of Jupiter, most powerful of all gods.

             Diocletian Palace was home to administrative prowess, but also was used for feeding pesky Christians, unwilling to worship him, to the lions. A gate in the palace wall led to a pillared courtyard where the emperor received homage of subjects. It descends into a maze of ancient underground rooms that apparently were used as a city dump until the 1970s. It also served as a discothèque at one time. The garbage of centuries ago has been cleaned out, but the place still smelled musty. It is the largest underground structure in Europe. Large stone vessels made from a single piece of stone once were used to store olive oil. Now many of them are used as flower planters.

            Marble paves Old Town’s streets. The black sphinx, one of 13, is the only complete one. The medieval town of Split took shape within the palace walls. The palace is the centerpiece of the old section of the city. The area is a virtual open-air museum with the city’s contemporary life bustling through it. The maze of narrow alleys is lined with fashionable boutiques, cafés and Roman artifacts. Red granite columns, from Egypt, can be seen everywhere.

            Just through the back gate stands a larger than life bronze statue of St. Gregory. It was removed from a small square where the huge statue overwhelmed it. Cut into three pieces it was moved and reconstructed. The huge statue showcases in the large courtyard. The tour of the Diocletian Palace took two and a half hours with a local docent. It is huge and considering its age and tools available at the time of its building, it just boggles the mind. It is an amazing feat and a big window into life in ancient times. It was a fascinating and informative visit.

LAKE MINNEWATER

                   Beguines and Lake Minnewater
 

            In 1488 the people of Bruges, Belgium executed one of the town administrators belonging to the court of Maximilian of Austria. Legend says Maximilian punished Bruges by obliging the population to keep swans on their lakes and canals for eternity. The swans are a lovely addition to Minnewater. Such a punishment!

            Minnewater is a lake at the southern end of the city. It wasn’t  far; I had a good walking map  so we took off in that direction. En route we had to stop to enjoy a famous Belgium waffle.

            Legend says that the lake was named after a girl named Minna. In Roman times two lovers were separated while the young warrior went off to war. Minna promised to wait for him, but during his long absence her father gave her in marriage to someone else. On the eve of her marriage Minna desperately ran away and hid in the woods.

            When the warrior returned he went looking for Minna, but when he found her she was exhausted and died in his arms. He built a dam in the creek near the tower, let the water drain out and buried Minna in the center. Then he broke the dam and again flooded the lake. Minna remains in the bottom of her beautiful lake.

            We missed the proper turn and entered the Beguinhof through the far gate.  The oldest remaining houses of the close date to the 15^th century. It has been a place of residence for women for 750 years!

            “What is a Beguine?” my friend asked.   

            I read what our information said: In the 12^th and 13^th centuries the crusades and other wars required that men take up arms and were often gone for long periods of time. Single women were in the majority but had little control over their lives. Women of some nobility could not marry outside their class and had little freedom or purpose in life, often with no chance of a decent livelihood.

            There were women who wanted to do good, help others but were restricted by the rules of society. About the beginning of the 13^th century some of them with common bonds and ideals grouped together and lived in cabins close to one another. This community was called a Beguinage.  These women were not nuns, took no vows, could return to city life and wed if she wished and did not have to give up her property.

            If she were poor, she could neither ask for nor accept alms, but could support herself by manual labor or teaching the children of the burghers—a citizen of the town, especially one of middle class. When first joining the community she lived with the Grand Mistress, but later had her own dwelling. Praying and mysticism were important aspects, but each Beguinage had its own rules, but no common ruler. There might be a meeting hall, chapel and assignments of certain duties.

            Beguines were influential in providing the populace with help and religious understanding that priests and ministers might not have been able to convey.

            The community was surrounded by a wall, and at night the gate was closed, and men were not allowed inside. The Grand Dame lived in the largest and most beautiful house. People generally like the Beguines, but it is a society of the past. Today they are part of the Catholic Church.

The Bruges Close

            From the gate it was only a few hundred yards to a gorgeous large courtyard filled with blooming daffodils and narcissus. Paths led one around the courtyard that also had many trees for shade. Walking toward the inner wall I was struck by all the clean sparkling windows. I don’t know why that attracted my attention but they just shone---maybe it was the sunshine.

            After awhile we entered the gift shop and talked to the lady inside who was one of the remaining 15 women living at this facility.

            She told us, “The Countess of Flanders, daughter of Count Baldwin, who conquered Constantinople, founded this close in 1245. In 1299 Philip the Beautiful placed the Beguinage under his rule, thus withdrawing it from magistrate influence. A fire in 1584 destroyed the chapel, but it was rebuilt in 1609 and later renovated in its present baroque architecture. In 1937 this became a monastery for Benedictine nuns.”

            It was a lovely quiet respite in the middle of a busy city. I was glad we had found it and learned something about a culture I never knew existed. There are several beguinages in Belgium, but this is the only one we had a chance to visit.

           

BELGRADE, SERBIA

City Impressions

            Cruising into Belgrade, Serbia early in the morning, we gazed upon the green terraced lawns of the castle facing the water. The city looked more prosperous   than anything we’ve seen, and the apartment buildings looked relatively new---a nice change from the communist buildings of the previous couple of days. 

            Our local guide met us at the pier on the Sava River and while walking us up to the fort she said, “Turks occupied this area for 500 years, and there was no Serbia on the map. You can see old walls here in this part of the fort. The Turks used bricks and the Austros used stone so it is easy to tell who built what. Over here are some old Roman ruins which date back to the 4^th century. Over the years two million Serbs died fighting for freedom, and the Turks were finally defeated in 1867.”

             Located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, Belgrade has always been on the important east--west trade route serving as a gateway from the Balkans to Europe. Belgrade, whose name translates to white city, has a 2500 year history, is Serbia’s capital and the country’s largest city. It also was capital of the old Yugoslavia. . One of Europe’s oldest cities, it is the center of the country’s political and cultural life. After years of repressive communist rule, the country is just emerging into the tourist market.

Conquered and rebuilt by Celts, Romans, Slavs, Turks, and Austro-Hungarians, the Kalemegdan Fortress anchors the city to its strategically important position. Belgrade suffered heavy damage during both WW II and again in the Kosovo war of 1999. The city has been razed to the ground 44 times while involved in 115 conflicts/wars!     The old battleground,  is now a peaceful retreat from a bustling city. From its walls one can see the modern regional economic center and the hi-rise buildings of New Belgrade rising across the river that give one a feel of the importance of this crossroads-city.

The fort has four walls and three gates. The outer moat has been filled in and now houses tennis and ball courts. The inner moat, also filled in, displays military equipment. The huge park is shaded by many old trees. The fort covers a very large part of the city and also houses museums and a zoo on the grounds. There are seven miles of tunnels under the fort, and like many old cities, Belgrade has an upper town and lower town.

One outside wall of the zoo (1936) displayed art work of animals done by school children. They were colorful, all the same size and made a most unique cheerful wall. From the fort grassy area we had a good view of the Victor Monument. Erected in 1928 it represents all Serbian fighters of WW I. Originally the monument was to be in downtown Belgrade, but the warrior is naked and the residents just would have no part of a naked man overlooking the city, so he faces the river. He holds an eagle in his left hand and a downward pointing sword in his right.

It was a Sunday and we spent the afternoon walking the large shopping district/mall. It was a lovely sunny day that had many families out enjoying it. People were very friendly. We stopped to watch various street performers and did a bit of shopping at some of the sidewalk vendors. Most of the numerous upscale stores and boutiques were open. I was impressed with the city and would have liked a bit more time to enjoy it.