November the 11th, 2025 – Few know that one of the smallest churches in the entire world can be found nestled in Split. You’d be lucky to fit 20 people inside it, and masses are held only once annually.
As Putni kofer/Lana Mindoljevic writes, thousands of people pass beneath it every single day, tourists pose with Grgur Ninski (Gregory of Nin), and then enter the thousand-year-old walls of Diocletian’s Palace. Most of them don’t know that they have passed by something truly special on a global scale, not just a Croatian or even European one. High above their heads at the Golden Gate of the Palace is the smallest church in Split and certainly one of the smallest in Croatia. Some have said that it’s one of the smallest churches in the world, and right in the heart of Split, but this information is difficult to verify. The church in question is the quaint little Church of St. Martin. It seats less than 20 people and masses are celebrated only once a year.
One of the smallest churches in the world is located in the very centre of Split, more specifically in the northern part of Diocletian’s Palace. It actually sits within the wall above the Golden Gate. In addition to being the smallest, it’s also one of the oldest churches in all of the otherwise ancient Split. It’s quite literally built into the gate, right above the passage, and is one of the most special sacral buildings in Dalmatia, Croatia, and far beyond.
under tw0 metres long and only ten metres wide
It is only 1.64 metres long and 10 metres wide and is by far the best-preserved sacral monument from ancient times. It was built way back during the 5th or 6th century, took on its current appearance in the 11th century, and underwent its last major renovation in the 20th century. The passageway in which the church is located today originally served as a passage for the guards who guarded the northern entrance to Diocletian’s Palace.
What makes this church even more special is the fact that mass is held in it only once a year, on the feast of Saint Martin on November the 11th – today.
Naturally, this beautiful little church enjoys a very high level of protection, back during the 11th century, it received an early Romanesque bell tower. The gorgeous early Romanesque altar partition that divides the interior of the church into the nave and sanctuary also dates from that period, and is the only such partition preserved “in situ” in all of Dalmatia.
the convent is still home to seven nuns
The convent of the Dominican Sisters of the Third Order has been operating next to the church since the 14th century, and they still take care of this special space today. The convent is still home to seven nuns.
“Each of them is responsible for a specific job, and in addition to the fact that the cleanliness and order are evident upon entering the church and the convent, there’s a great sense of community among the sisters,” Dalmacija Danas wrote last year. Weddings, communions, and confirmations used to take place in this small church, and today, on St. Martin’s Day, the parish priest of Split’s Cathedral of St. Duje holds the only mass that happens in a year there.
As the nuns revealed, this church is often open during the summer and tourists can visit it, though it’s quite difficult to fit inside it. Unsurprisingly, there are often lines of visitors who have happened to find out that one of the smallest churches in the world is actually hidden away in bustling Split waiting to see it for themselves.
The next time you pass under the busy Golden Gate, before you step into the wondrous space of Diocletian’s Palace, make sure to look up. High above your head sits something truly special. The entrance to the monastery and church lies immediately to the right, when you go through the arched passage you will enter the alley of Majstor Juraj and on the right you’ll see the monastery and the stairs leading to this tiny, truly unique church.
