March 12, 2020 – The archaeological survey of the Old Town Hall within the EU project “Palace of Life – a City of Change” was the best insight into the rich historical life of Pjaca in Split.
The City of Split reported that the archaeological survey of the Old Town Hall within the EU project “Palace of Life – a City of Change” lasted one month. Investigations were conducted to discover and protect archaeological layers and structures prior to the renovation and restoration of this building in the heart of Split, in Pjaca.
What the archaeological survey employees of the Split company Temenos discovered was the best insight into the precious historical life of Pjaca, once known as People’s Square, and the changes that took place within the medieval town hall and that part of Split.
According to an archaeological report, it was discovered that the centerline of the town hall was preserved from the time before Diocletian’s Palace was built. The remains of materials from an ancient road leading from the west door of the Palace were also found.
The construction of the first pre-Romanesque houses was also found, after the church of St. Lawrence in the 6th / 7th century and the formation of a medieval cemetery, and in the Romanesque period, during the Split commune, in the 12th and 13th centuries, there was an expansion and increase of houses.
With the arrival of the Venetian authorities and the construction of the Gothic town hall and the prince’s palace and the demolition of the church of St. Lawrence, the People’s Square got a new look.
The research also revealed that the original layout of the Old Town Hall was a unique space, which was later reconstructed.
The renovation and valorization of the Old Town Hall is part of the strategic EU project of the City of Split “Palace of life – City of changes” which integrates the development program of the visitor infrastructure of the historic core with Diocletian’s Palace, which was submitted at the end of November 2019 by Ministries of Regional Development and European Union Funds under the ITU Mechanism, within the Operational Program “Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014-2020”.
The renovation and restoration of the Old Town Hall are worth 9.6 million kuna, and the works should last 12 months. Everything is done with the consent and under the watchful eye of the Conservation Department in Split.
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