What is the longest staircase you have climbed?
The Cathedral of Saint Domnius is one of the major attractions in Split Croatia and includes a bell tower. As with many cathedrals we have visited, the interior is incredible. It includes a crypt, treasury, and baptistery. We climbed the 200 steps to the top of the bell tower and found some amazing views of Split in every direction.
Originally this structure was a mausoleum for Diocletian, who was a persecutor of the Christians in the 3rd century AD. In the 5th century Christians destroyed the emperor’s sarcophagus and converted his tomb into a church. This is one of the best-preserved ancient Roman buildings still standing. In the 7th century, this became a Catholic Cathedral and is the oldest of its kind still standing.
The steps to the top of the tower were very uneven and came in many forms, including what looked like a make-shift metal staircase. Some of the stairs were also more than double the height you would expect and awkward to climb. We mostly wanted to go up the tower for the views and the pictures.
Near the top are the bells. It was fascinating to see the mechanisms that are in place to make them ring. Compared to other cathedrals, these bells were smaller than some of the others.
Split is an amazing city from above, with a backdrop of mountains and in the other direction the sea. The cathedral is right in the heart of the old part of the city.
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