Archaeological Museum in Split

History of the Museum

Archaeological Museum in Split

Interest in the Croatian monumental heritage has existed since the distant past. At the beginning of the 16^th century, Dominik Papalić, a humanist and noble from Split, gathered a collection of Roman-era inscriptions in his home. He found them together with Marko Marulić, “the father of Croatian literature,” during their many strolls through the ruins of Salona. Marulić even wrote a ‘catalogue,’ or rather a ‘guide’ to that original collection, and five original inscriptions preserved from it are on display in the Archaeological Museum’s atrium.

The Archaeological Museum in Split, the oldest museum institution in Croatia, was established by decree of the Dalmatian Government in Zadar in 1820. Its establishment was prompted by the visit of Emperor Francis I to Dalmatia in 1818, when he toured Split and the ancient monuments in Solin. The first museum building was constructed in 1821 next to the eastern wall of Diocletian’s Palace, but it soon became too small to accommodate the increasing number of artefacts.

Permanent Display

The permanent exhibition of the Archaeological Museum in Split, located in the front yard, porch, atrium, corridor and exhibition halls, is a material reflection of the past of Illyricum, i.e. Dalmatia.

What is attractive in archeology is the awareness of origin, rootedness, and it is the Archaeological Museum in Split that preserves material that shows our past on the spot: our collections, namely, were not collected around the white world and do not demonstrate the trade-tourist-colonial past, but the real one, which flows through our veins.

The lapidary is located in the portico that borders the front yard, where mainly stone monuments from the Greek, Roman and medieval periods, up to the modern era are exhibited, as well as in the uncovered part of the front yard, the atrium and the corridor. Prehistoric materials are exhibited in the small hall, and materials from the Greek to the Middle Ages are displayed in the large hall. The material is presented chronologically and thematically.

Sites

SALONA COLLECTION AND SITE

The Salona Branch Collection and Site safeguards all movable and fixed monuments that are located in situ at Salona, inside and outside the ancient city’s walls, encompassing an area of just over 9 hectares. The Collection holds...

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ISSA COLLECTION AND SITE

Issa was an island town and the most important Greek colony in Croatia. Its foundation is associated with the colonizing efforts of Dionysius the Elder in the first half of the 4^th century BC. It was situated in the very heart of the Adriatic Sea, on the island of Vis. (...)

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MUSEUM SHOPS

The museum shop in Split is open to the public during the museum's working hours.

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History of the Museum