One thing we all know for sure: Split is rich, and we mean rich in history. It’s no surprise to anyone booking their next holiday to Split that one of the crucially enticing things about Split is the 4th century AD palace you’ll find yourselves walking through. Nearly every corner you turn you’ll see traces of heavily influenced Roman era architecture and you’ll instantly feel that you’ve been transported back into a very different time. Hell, Game of Thrones used Diocletian’s Palace for the filming of Season 4! That being said, with a history so rich and unique, Split has a lot of museums. From ancient to modern art, sculptors to painters, here are a list of some of the best museums to frequent in Split.
Probably one of the most popular museums in Split is the Meštrović Gallery. Ivan Meštrović, Croatia’s most renowned sculptor, displays his work through a neo-classical villa he built by himself back in 1931. There you will find sculltures large and small, paintings, and you will follow the story of a man coming to fruition in Yugoslavia. Meštrović draws influences from classical, folk, and modernist times and his work is pertininent to the history of Split. You can visit his gallery at Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića 46.
The Gallery of Fine Arts (or known better to Croatians at Galerija Umjetnina) contains works from the 14th century to present day, giving gallery goers a glimpse of the evolution art has taken in the city of Split. The gallery’s permanent collection include more than 3,500 works of art throughout this period of time, and include works by Croatian artists as well as artists from former Yugoslavia, Italy, Germany, Austria, France and the Czech Republic. Umjetnina also has one of the largest collections of Icons in Croatia, with works dating from the 15th to 19th century on display. Nineteenth century and modern art, as well as contemporary art are displayed as well. This gallery is located at Kralja Tomislava 15.
The Archeological Museum is the oldest amongst museums in Split, founded in 1820. Arranged over 3 floors, the Archeological Museum houses a prehistoric section of ceramics and weaponry on the top, a Roman and Liburnian second floor, and the Middle Ages on the ground floor. Some key historical finds from this museum are from the nearby Roman capital of Salona, containing mosaics, sarcophagi, potteries, and ancient coins. You can find the museum located conveniently next to the National Theatre on Zrinsko-Frankopanska 25.
Other museums worth checking out are the Split City Museum, the Split Maritime Museum, and the Split Ethnographic Museum to see the rich history of Croatian folklore costumes, jewelers, and traditional handicrafts.
Go and get smarter, these museums are waiting for you!
