Salona: a journey through time in the heart of Solin

In the heart of Solin, five kilometers northeast of Split, lies ancient Salona, once the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia.

Today, Solina is considered to be the largest and most valuable ancient site in Croatia.

Salona, Center of the Diocese, Photo: Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0

Salona was originally a coastal stronghold and port of the Illyrian Delmata. In the 1st century BC, it was occupied by the Romans. After the civil war between Caesar and Pompey, in 48 BC, Salona received the status of a Roman colony with the full title of Colonia Martia Ivlia Salona.

At the time of its full prosperity, Salona was the largest Roman city on the Adriatic coast. The capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia had a forum, temples, baths, and other public and private buildings. There was also an amphitheater, a theater, and numerous basilicas.

Salona, Amphitheatre, Photo: By Akrasia25, CC BY-SA 4.0

Outside the city walls, you can see Manastirine, the ancient necropolis where, after the execution of St. Duje, bishop of Salona (protector of the city of Split), Christians brought his body and buried him there.

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Roman customs and laws dictated that the dead were to be buried outside the city, so Christians also followed that custom. Manastirine got its name from local tradition, which very often sees traces and remains of monasteries in the ruins of old buildings.

Salona, Remains of the basilica and cemetery, Photo: By Akrasia25, CC BY-SA 4.0

One of the most famous inhabitants of Salona was the Roman emperor Diocletian, who was born there in 245. Around 614, it was Diocletian’s palace that served the residents of Salona as a refuge from the Avars and Slavs who attacked and destroyed the city.

Salona, Aqueduct, Photo: W.D. Schram, CC BY-SA 3.0

Today, archaeologists in the heart of Solin continue to come across discoveries. The remains of the ancient city of Salona, the metropolis of the Roman province of Dalmatia, testify to this area’s rich history and make it one of the most important archaeological sites in Europe.