Where will be the final resting place for Split’s Roman Emperor?
“The statue of Diocletian is my personal property, but where it will be located is not up to me”, says Karlo Grenc, unhappy with the vagueness of the Split city leadership and discussions about where the statue should be placed. Even before the formal presentation of the 2,68-metre-high sculpture made of plaster at the Ethnographic Museum, there are differing opinions whether it should be placed in the Vestibule, the City Museum, the Palace Basements, Peristil… certainly somewhere within the palace, reports Vecernji List on September 23, 2015.
Some are of the opinion that it would be best for the statue to “stay” in the Ethnographic Museum, so that those who want to see it can come, and those who do not want to see it do not have to… As always, the final decision will probably be made by politicians, not experts.
“The statue will surely open the discussions about what to do with it and where to put it. That is how the things are done in Split! The same thing happened with the statues of Grgur Ninski and Marko Marulić. But, there is no doubt that it will become a part of our cultural heritage. Some will question whether Diocletian was a philosopher, and Christians will accuse him of executions. There should be an open debate about it, but we should create a space where the statue of Emperor Diocletian can be placed”, said Radoslav Bužančić, the head of the Conservation Department.
The famous Split architect Jerko Rošin believes that Diocletian was the greatest Roman emperor and that he deserves to have a statue in Split. “He must have his place in Split, and the experts should decide where to put it. There is, after all, the City Commission on Monuments, Streets and Squares, and they should make the decision on Diocletian. It does not have to be this particular statue, which was commissioned by a group of enthusiasts led by Karlo Grenc. The experts should decide whether another monument would be more appropriate”, said Rošin adding that Diocletian was a great architect as well.
“I do not support the idea of putting the statue of Diocletian in the Vestibule. Nothing should be put, added or taken out of there. For this sculpture, we need to find a larger space. Diocletian’s shadow is still walking the city walls 1700 years after his death”, said Tonči Šitin, an art historian.
“Despite the controversies, we should not doubt what Diocletian means to us, and Karlo Grenc might perhaps just be the most effective person in Split. His foundation should be helped by everybody”, said Joško Belamarić.
