Trogir, Croatia

Trogir
Registered Sector: 
Historic City of Trogir
Location and site: 
Trogir is situated in central Dalmatia, near Split. The historic centre is on a small island at the western extremity of Manios Bay.
Historical Function: 
Commercial town and port.
Administrative Status: 
Historical Reference: 
  • The foundation of Trogir goes back to the third century BC. Greek colonists established a commercial enterprise there named Tragurian, meaning “ Goat Island.“ It went on to become an important port in ancient times.
  • Under Roman rule the people of Trogir were awarded the status of Roman citizens, an extraordinary feat for a provincial town. Trogir expanded and increased its fortifications. Outside the ancient walls vast Roman cemeteries have been discovered, revealing the town’s former prosperity.
  • After the Barbarian invasion in the seventh century and the rise of Constantinople, under Byzantine rule Trogir became an autonomous city of Dalmatia province.
  • At the end of the tenth century Trogir was occupied for the first time by the Venetians. From the twelfth to the fourteenth century it was under Hungarian rule, during which time there were major building developments.
  • From 1420 Trogir was part of the Venetian Empire and as such continued to fortify and enlarge its island-city. The economic and artistic development of the Dalmatian city was funded by Venice, which was the dominant power in the Adriatic Sea during the fifteenth century. Despite the decline of the Venetian Empire, Trogir remained under its rule until the end of the eighteenth century.(Mais sous les Hongrois du XIIme au XIVme)
  • 1798 marked the demise of the Venetian Empire and Trogir was ceded to the Austro-Hungarian Empire by the treaty of Campoformio. Thus it remained until 1918, except for a brief period of French rule from 1806 - 1810.
  • Since there were no important developments in the old section of Trogir in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the historic centre with its architectural wealth has been preserved, while new developments were built off the island.
Urban Morphology: 
The Greek heart of Trogir is situated at the eastern end of the old city island where the layout of the streets has remained unchanged. The old “Cardo maximus“ (running north -south) is still the main street of the modern town. The Greco-Roman forum, which was at the intersection of the “Cardo“ and the “Decumanus” (running east-west), has become the main square. This is dominated by Saint Lawrence Cathedral, whose construction was begun around 1200 in the Roman style, and later modified with the addition of elements of Gothic and Renaissance styles. The cathedral is flanked by the City Hall, one of the most beautiful buildings in Trogir, which was built in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. Trogir has many other religious buildings, of which two examples are the eleventh century Romanesque churches of Saint Barbara and Saint John the Baptist.

From the middle ages the town grew in concentric circles out towards the western part of the island, creating the “ Pasike” quarter. Many palaces built by the city’s aristocracy still survive, including some beautiful examples of secular Gothic architecture such as the Cipico Palace where the famous fifteenth century artist Andrija Alesi worked, among others. Trogir’s architecture was clearly influenced by the various Mediterranean countries where Venetian domination left its strongest mark. Even today the remains of the fortress of Kamerlango consititute an impressive example of Venetian military architecture. With the neighbouring town of Split, and Dubrovnic to the south (both World Heritage Cities), Trogir is a striking example of the cultural richness to be found on the Dalmatian coast.

Registration Criteria: 
Trogir is an excellent example of a medieval town that is built on the site of Greek and Roman city foundations and which preserves their architectural influences. It has retained its urban fabric remarkably well, allowing few modern interventions, and every aspect of its urban landscape clearly demonstrates the history of its social and cultural development (criteria ii and iv).