Spectacular Split

We wove our way through a couple more anchorages on a few more islands. The winds have been perfect for raising the sails and riding the prevailing breeze as we tag each place with our anchor. Off in the horizon rises the ancient city of Split. This is the second largest city in Croatia. There are plenty of apartment blocks rising from the streets, but in the center of it all is the charming old town of Split. Originally Split was built as a grand palace for the Roman Emperor Diocletian. I guess as a retiring emperor, you are allowed to just about anything with public funds. After he died, his palace became his mausoleum. That worked out pretty good until the Byzantine rulers decided to take it over, dump his body and replace it with that of a saint. They then turned his palace into a cathedral. To add more insult to an emperor who could not defend himself, they turned his temple to Jupiter into a baptistery. The walled grounds of the old palace were so large that people moved in, built stone homes, and vola, Split was reborn as a Byzantine city. The palace walls are still there as well as the cathedral and baptistery. The Venetians added an imposing bell tower that still rises high on the skyline. We climbed to the very top and got a birds-eye view of not only the old palace grounds but the surrounding area as well.