Cathedral of Saint Domnius
The Cathedral of Saint Domnius occupies the most improbable of homes: the octagonal mausoleum that Emperor Diocletian raised around AD 305 within his sprawling seaside palace. Diocletian was history's last great persecutor of Christians, yet by about the 7th century his tomb had been converted into a church dedicated to one of his victims. Stripped of the emperor's sarcophagus and reconsecrated to the Virgin Mary and the martyred bishop Domnius, the building is broadly regarded as the oldest Catholic cathedral still in use in its original structure.
The interior preserves its Roman bones: a circular colonnade of granite and marble columns, a richly carved frieze, and a dome that once sheltered the emperor's remains. Among its treasures are the Romanesque wooden entrance doors carved by Andrija Buvina in 1214, depicting twenty-eight scenes from the life of Christ, and finely worked medieval choir stalls and altars. Soaring beside the cathedral is the 57-metre Romanesque-Gothic bell tower, begun in the mid-13th century, completed centuries later, and reconstructed in 1908; it remains the defining silhouette of Split.
Today the cathedral sits at the heart of Diocletian's Palace, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the living core of Split's old town. It functions as both an active parish church of the Archdiocese of Split-Makarska and one of Dalmatia's most visited monuments, drawing travellers who climb its tower for sweeping views over the Adriatic and the terracotta rooftops below.
- Location
- 43.5081, 16.4403
- Local time
- 00:37 (Europe/Zagreb)
🕘 Visiting hours
| Mon–Sat | 09:00–19:00 |
| Sun | 12:00–18:30 |
Hours are highly seasonal (longest in summer, as short as 09:00-15:00 in winter) and the cathedral closes to tourists during Mass; confirm locally before visiting.
✨ Saints & blessed venerated here
-
Saint Domnius Saint
A bishop of Salona martyred under Diocletian, he is the patron saint of Split and the cathedral's namesake, with his relics venerated inside.
-
Saint Anastasius of Salona Saint
A fellow Salonitan martyr drowned with a millstone, this co-patron's relics also rest within the cathedral.
-
Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Saint
The church itself is formally dedicated to the Virgin Mary, reflecting its title as the Cathedral of the Assumption.
Care & donations
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Split-Makarska
Combined entry ticket (~11 euro) covers cathedral, crypt, baptistery, treasury, and bell tower; proceeds support upkeep of the UNESCO monument.
Official website →The candle wall
0 candles burning now · 150 places
00:37
Tap an empty holder to light your own candle · €2.00 · hover a flame to see its intention