Welcome to the working week

Outdoor market in Trogir, Croatia.

Master Radovan

The portal of the cathedral is mostly the work of the Croatian master architect and sculptor Radovan, completed in 1240.

The reliefs of the life of Christ are wonderful, but aren't that different from what you might see at any Romanesque cathedral in Europe. But the carvings on the columns, and the lions, and the statues of Adam and Eve on either side of the portal, were like nothing I'd ever seen.





And I love that this Croatian woman, in the open-air market across the canal, looks so much like Radovan's Eve.

Trogir Cathedral

The cathedral is layered like the rest of Trogir. The original church, dedicated to St Lawrence, was destroyed by the Saracens, so this church, mostly built in the 13th century is also called St Lawrence officially. But no one actually calls it that; it's known as Sveti Ivan, or St John, after a 12th century bishop.

The outside is Romanesque, and far more interesting than the Gothic interior, but I do love this statue of God sticking his head out of the ceiling.

Trogir

Trogir is layered like a trifle, Roman over Greek, Saracen over Slav, Venetian over Hungarian, 2300 years of history in a perfect medieval city center surrounded by 15th century walls.

And outside those walls, it's a typical town on the Adriatic, with boats and summer houses and cafes on the waterfront.