For a city as unique and distinctive as Split, it seems that most of their history has revolved around people trying to give it away.
During the Middle Ages, Split enjoyed a period of autonomy as a free city, but then got caught in the middle of a struggle between Venice and the King of Hungary for control over the Dalmatian cities.
Venice eventually prevailed and during the early modern period Split remained a Venetian city, a heavily fortified outpost surrounded by the Ottomans. When Venice fell to Napoleon, the Treaty of Campo Formio gave the city to the Habsburg Monarchy. In 1805, the Peace of Pressburg gave it to the Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy and in 1806 it was ceded to the French Empire. After being occupied in 1813, it was eventually granted to the Austrian Empire following the Congress of Vienna, where the city remained a part of the Austrian Kingdom of Dalmatia until the fall of Austria-Hungary in 1918 when it was given away as part of the formation of Yugoslavia.
In World War II, the city was annexed by Italy, then liberated by the Partisans after the Italian capitulation in 1943. It was then re-occupied by Germany, which gave it to its puppet Independent State of Croatia. The city was liberated again by the Partisans in 1944, and was included in the post-war Socialist Yugoslavia, as part of its republic of Croatia.
Finally, in 1991, Croatia seceded from Yugoslavia amid the Croatian War of Independence and became their own bosses.
We didn’t want to spend our entire visit to Split just seeing the city, so we walked down to the port and boarded a ferry to Rogac on the island of Solta. A local bus meets the ferry at the port, and we headed off to a close by settlement and beach called Necujam. Wandered around the coast and had a swim.
Unfortunately, school went back today in Croatia, which means that it’s no longer the high season, but rather the start of the shoulder season, and that means that the afternoon ferry that I’d counted on no longer runs. Had to catch the lunchtime ferry back to Split, unless we wanted to hang around on the island for another 6 hours.
Nevertheless, despite the shortish time, it was great to see a different side of the region – much quieter and more laid back.
A last walk down to the Old City after dark, and a final look at the floodlit walls and buildings.
Necujam
Necujam
Necujam
Rogac Port