We set out for this interesting place in Stari Grad after an excellent dinner at La Gitana restaurant. The place is located on the outskirts of the town, near Crkva Sv. Stjepan, and it's a short and pleasant walk through stone streets from the center. This year, the church Crkva Sv. Ivan, with remains of beautiful Christian mosaics, is also accessible, and I couldn't miss that. The adjacent archaeological site Remete vrt is small, but historical periods intertwine well there. If I add the explanation we received in Croatian, it all takes about half an hour.
Crkva Sv. Ivan was originally a double church. Behind the church, the remains of Crkva Sv. Marije are visible. Early Christian mosaics were found in both churches, which are now on display in the church of Sv. Ivan.
Both churches were originally connected; later, both were destroyed, and only Sv. Ivan was restored, which is still in use today. From Crkva Sv. Marije, the perimeter walls and a cross-shaped baptistery with steps on both sides remained – for this reason, archaeologists believe it was used for adult baptisms. City gates were once located in the immediate vicinity of both churches.
Right next to the churches is the archaeological site Remete vrt. What all will you see there? There are remains of ancient city walls, which were formerly called the Cyclopean wall, or more precisely, Cyclopean masonry. Cyclopean masonry is a term known from Mycenaean architecture. It is a type of stone masonry consisting of large limestone boulders stacked on top of each other with minimal gaps between them and not joined by mortar. The name Cyclopean masonry originated from the ancient Greeks. They believed that only the mythical Cyclopes had enough strength to build a wall from such large stones. Similarly, people in Stari Grad previously believed for the same reason that only strong Cyclopes could have built such an enormous wall.
What is known with certainty about the walls is that they were built in the 4th century, making them the walls of late antique Pharos. Stones from the walls of Greek Faros were used for their construction. They have been preserved to this day in a length of 11m.
Furthermore, remains of urban architecture can be seen at the site: two residential blocks from the Greek colony period separated by a street, on which a drainage channel and a sidewalk, above which a porch once stood, are visible.
It is interesting that stratigraphically arranged phases of the ancient city are present here – from the earliest Greek colonization, through the Roman period, up to late antiquity. Ceramic vessels, amphorae, Greek coins, Roman coins, bronze arrows, and remnants of molds for Tanagra figurines were found directly at this site. A large number of sea snails, which were used in antiquity for making purple dye, were also found here. Several ancient wells are also located here, which speaks to the importance of water when choosing a location for an ancient city.
It was a very pleasant, short, and undemanding trip into the history of Stari Grad. As you wander through Stari Grad, the stone streets might very well lead you here themselves. Crkva Sv. Ivan is not difficult to find, and we gladly recommend this place for enriching the spirit and soaking up a bit of history.
