Diocletian built his mausoleum while he was still alive and was buried in the crypt when he died. However, he was not admired by the Christians who came to Split a few hundred years later. So they dumped his body in the sea and built a Cathedral on top of his mausoleum. It is ornate, gilded and more importantly today it is dry. An intense downburst started while we were in the Treasury and now that we want to go to the Cathedral it was still falling. We had to dodge the umbrellas to get to the Cathedral door. In we scooted and saw the first section. To see the second section we had to go out a side door dart through the rain and back in a different door. This part was where the choir sat and the benches were very special. There was little interest in climbing the belltower from the others but I chose to brave it anyway
Tourists made of sugar and scared that thy might melt
The dome above is way up there
The alter is golden
Gold angels are holding up lamps
Silver with red glass parts
This crypt is some of the finest sculptural work we have seen in quite a while
Big doors made of wood
At least 20 feet tall
Wowzers
Diocletian used to be down here and now there is a glass panel in the floor
The finest of crypts line the sides
As if the column was not carved enough, there are even more carved parts above
So many wooden snakes
The golden alter
The choir benches were made in the 13th century
It is being conserved in place
Tiny points that need work
The tools of the conservators
These panels were moved to this cathedral in the 17th century
I have decided to climb the 180 steps up to the top of the belltower
The first steps were uneven, steep and very wet
It was still raining so I got dripped on and had to step very carefully
Much more to go up
The top of the vestibule
More modern metal stairs to climb
The palace spreads out
The bells!
Reaching to top!
Split to the north
The top of the Cathedral
Split to the East
Split tot he South
The rain had stopped
The vestibule
Passing the bells again on the way down
Down I go!
It has been 1 year and 142 days since we began our Migration
