Split at the Critical Point: Diocletian`s Palace, Excavation vs

Split at the Critical Point: Diocletian's Palace, Excavation vs. Conservation
Author(s): Ivan Zaknic
Source: JAE, Vol. 36, No. 3 (Spring, 1983), pp. 20-26
Published by: Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the Association of Collegiate Schools of
Architecture, Inc.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1424765
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SPLIT
AT
THE
CRITICAL POINT:
DIOCLETIAN'S
PALACE,
VS.
EXCAVATION
CONSERVATION
IvanZaknic,a nativeof Croatia,taughtat The
Universityof Texas1975-79, CornellUniversity
1980-82, and is currentlywithGwathmeySiegel in New YorkCity.He is the authorof a
book on PompidouCenter(Flammarion,
1983)
and a reVoyaged'Orientin OPPOSITIONS,
viewof Le Corbusier's
Sketchbooks(Vol.I) in a
recentissue of JAE.Thepresentarticlegrew
out of a paperdeliveredin SantaFe at the
ACSAAnnualMeeting,March1983.
Splittoday
(aerial
view)
reconstruction
Hebrard's
ofthepalace(1912)
Hebrard,
Spalato)
(Source:
coast, is an
Split,a busy porton the Adriatic
economicand culturalcenterof Dalmatia
and
one of the oldestcitiesin Croatia.Thisregion
was once knownas the landsof Illyria.Split's
historicalcenteris the palaceof the RomanEma nativeof Dalmatia,
who lived
perorDiocletian,
thereafterhis retirement
untilhis death.Theensemblewas surroundedby protectivewalls,
whichgave it the characterof a military
fortress
or "castellum"
enclosinga luxuriousresidence.
Thepalacehas a longandfascinatinghistory.
Afterthe fallof the RomanEmpireandthe devastationof the neighboring
provincial
capitalof
Salonain 614 A.D., manyinhabitants
fleeingthe
invaderstook refugebehindthe thickwallsof
Diocletian's
Palace.Imperial
were
apartments
transformed
to shelterhomelessrefugees.In
this waythe firstsquatterfixedhis residence
and became,in the wordsof BernardRudofsky,
"anhonorary
trusteeandunofficial
guardianof a
landmark."'
Foralmostfourteencenturies,these
None
squatters'rightsremaineduncontested.2
of the invaderssincethattime, includingGoths,
andTurks,succeededin
Avars,Slavs,Tartars
the palaceenclave.
capturing
An EarlyMedieval
towngrewwithinthe enclosure, and laterspreadbeyondthe walls. Expansion continueduntilthe twentiethcentury,makingthe palaceareaa trueurbannucleus.After
WorldWarII,systematicarchitectural
investigationsand restoration
activitiesbeganin several
areasof the old Romanpalace.
excavationshave
Since1968, archeological
beencarriedout jointlyby the TownPlanning
Instituteof Dalmatia
andthe University
of
Minnesota,underauspicesof the Smithsonian
Institution.
Tworeportswereconsequentlypublishedin 1972 and 1976, describingthe extent
of the digs in varioussectors.3Specialistsfrom
severalcountriesassistedin excavations.Activto a numberof limited
ityhas been restricted
sectorssincethe Romanpalaceconstitutesthe
verycoreof a dense city.Insome areas,no
workwas undertaken
untilthe localhousingauthoritiessaw fitto condemnand demolish
houses, thus freeingthe areafor arapartment
Further
cheologicalinvestigations.
diggingcan
continuein manyareasonlyafterthe demolition
of additional
buildings.It is commonlyaccepted
thatthe complexmayneverbe excavatedin its
entirety,andthatthe workwillprobablycontinue
for generations.
Cityplannersandhistoriansarethus facedwith
a dilemma.Theexcavationprogramaimsat increasingknowledgeof the originalpalacecomplex, buturbanrenewalmustclearthe way.
Housingto be demolishedis declared"substandard"and "devoidof historicalinterest,"while
the dense urbanfabricof the veryheartof the
cityis beingslowlyeroded.Thechoiceat this
pointseems to be one betweenurbanremoval
to servearcheology,andurbanconservation
to
nourishlivinghistory.Whichhas the greater
rightto exist, andcan theyindeedco-exist?The
views expressedin this articlerepresentneither
of the partnersin the jointproject,butarean
effortto evaluatecritically
the recent
independent
to achieve
work,whichattemptssimultaneously
a dualand irreconcilable
goal:to preservethe
and
at the same timeto
context,
place-related
destroypartsof it in orderto gainmoreknowledge abouta specifichistoricalperiodand its
"vanished"
context.
Environments
change,boththroughslow and
naturalprocessandthroughsuddenphysical
war.
alterations-naturaldisasters,earthquake,
Transformations
arecommon,andacceptedas
a partof evolution.Butchangein Splitoverthe
lastfew decadesis a case of consciousand
Manyissues mustbe dealt
plannedintervention.
withsimultaneously:
growth,renewal,conservationandtransformation.
Thetruechallengefacingthe cityplannersat the presenttime is to
m
developa policyrelatingthese changesto the
cherishedimageryheldby those whose lives
and memoriesare closelytiedto the city.Thisis
whatKevinLynchcalls "publicimages,"or the
"commonmentalpicturecarriedby largenumbersof cityinhabitants."4
ForcenturiesSplithas retaineda strongsense
of place,withwell-defined
edges, nodes, and
districts.Some of the alterations
recentlyperformedin the city'sfabrichaveweakenedthis
eventhoughno majorlandmark
"imageability,"
has beentorndown.Althoughfragmentshave
beenremovedin specificareas,the greaterpart
of the historiccentraldistricthas up to now
beenpreserved.Theoccasionalloss of housing
unitsandgaps in environment
are receivedby
the generalpublicwithoutresistance,and withoutthe dissentor politicalbattlesthatwe would
experienceinthis country.Localcitizensaccept
these changesas a matterof governmentpolicy,
becausemoreadequateand hygeniclivingquartersforthe displacedareusuallyprovided.But
stillthe puzzleremains.Diocletian's
Palaceis a
landmark
of the LateRomanperiod,associated
witha soldier,a conquerorandcolonizerof
these provinces.Howdidthe governmentauthoritiesof today'ssocialistYugoslavia
decide
thatthe application
of scientificarcheologyand
the restoration
of an ancientarchitectural
icon
aremoreimportant
thanthe livingencrustations
whichfollowedfor sixteencenturies?Forwithout destroyingthe majorrecognizable
features
of the relicfromwhichit sprung,the town has
actuallyencompassedits remainsto the mutual
advantageof both.
has
Inthe historyandgrowthof Split,continuity
andthe
beenone of its strongestcharacteristics
one most desirableto retain.Different
layers
in the courseof its 1700-year
haveaccumulated
history.Theyincludethe followinggeneral
periods:LateRoman,EarlyMedieval,Medieval,
Renaissance,Baroque,Nineteenth
Century
internalexpansion,Twentieth
Centuryexternal
expansion,andthe most recentexcavations
withinthe palace.
Priorto the buildingof the palace,this partof
the coast was inhabitedby Illyrian
tribes.Then
Greekscolonizedthe areain the FourthCentury
B.C.;fragmentsfromthe Firstand SecondCenturiesB.C.havebeenfound.5The Romansconqueredthe areain a series of militarycamcenterat
paigns,and builttheirprovincial
Salona,today'sSolin,fourmilesfromthe site of
Diocletian's
Palace.
TheEmperorDiocletian
was originally
an Illyrian
fromthis area.Hereignedfrom284 to 305
the throneafter
A.D., voluntarily
abdicating
palaceon the Dalmatian
buildinghis retirement
coast. Thebuildingof the palacetook 10 to 15
years,andwas finishedin 305. Thestructure,in
the formof a trapezoidmeasuring675 x 675
x 543 x 525 feet, combineda luxuriousvilla
witha well-fortified
castle. Itenclosedan areaof
about9 Englishacres. Fromthe verybeginning
this was muchmorethana residenceforthe reIt hadbeenconceivedas a cityin
tiredEmperor.
itself-which in fact it became,afterthe fallof
the neighboring
provincial
capitalof Salonain
the earlySeventhCentury.
Its rectangular
form
withprotectiveperimeter
walls,a prototypeused
terby the Romansin alltheirnewly-conquered
ritories,was basedon the patternof the Roman
military
camp (castrum).Thisgavethe newlyfoundedpalacean addedadvantagefor defense.
The military
characterand purposewas of real
benefitto the occupants,eventhoughthe corner
towerswerebuiltsquareandcontraryto the advice of Vrtruvius
was
(whose recommendation
thatthey be roundor polygonal,for "square
towersaresoonershatteredby military
engines"6).
Likeall newtowns laidout by Romansin their
two mainthoroughfares
conqueredterritories,
dividedthe palaceintofourquarters.Northern
sectionscontaineda lodgingcomplexfor soldiersandservants,as wellas warehousesand
spaces. Thesouthernpart
supportingauxiliary
was reservedforthe Emperorand his suite. It
containedhis residencebuiltovera basement
substructure.
Thispartalso includedotherritual
andformalspaces:a peristyle,vestibuleandatriumalongthe axis, the Emperor'sMausoleum
on the east side, andthe templeon the west.
AfterDiocletian's
deathit is believedthatimperialfamiliescontinuedto livehere,withoccasionalvisitorsto the southernpart,whilethe
as
northernpartwas used in the FifthCentury
unian imperialtextilefactorywheremilitary
formsweremade.7Factoryworkersalso resided
herein the northernsection.Evenat this early
date,the palacewas alreadyhousingbothpatriciansand plebians.
WhenAvarandSlavconquerorstookoverthe
cityof Salonain 614, some of the
neighboring
warrefugeesfledto the islands,andothersfour
milessouthto the palace.About2,000 of them
foundit veryconvenientto settlewithinthe protectedpalace.Sic transitgloriamundi!
Crteai
Drawing
4 'i?''6
-
**
E-.
1ia
,li,, *
W.
_
N
H
s
Prbhtno
ApproenmaW
',I---.j',_'
%b%.-_
/
/^>^
w
,~
Tlocrti
Diokleciianove
palade
izvorni izgted pra
Adramu,Niemniu H6brwdu
Plans
Diocletian's
Palace,
to Adam Nimarrn HBrd
appearance
Original
according
Adam(1757),Niemann
of thepalace:
Threereconstructions
(1912)
(1910),Hebrard
JointExcavation
Project)
(Source:
"Unofficial
of a landmark"
guardians
(Photobyauthor)
,mr.
Adam(1764)
of WestGateby Robert
Engraving
RareBookLibrary,
Cornell
University)
(Courtesy
andBellTower
Mausoleum
today
(Photobyauthor)
Theexistingstructurewas slowlychangedto
meetthe demandsof the new immigrants,and
theirnew religion.TheEmperor'sMausoleum
andthe Templeof Jupiterbecamea Christian
church(a belltowerwas addedlater);the Temple of Esculapius,RomanGodof Medicine,becamethe Baptistry;
the peristylebecamethe
cathedralsquare,andlaterservedfor many
yearsas a municipalcenter.Thedoublegate
towersat eachentranceto the palaceweretaken
downand must haveservedas buildingblocks
boomof the Middle
duringthe construction
Ages-for newadvancesin warfarehadmade
themsuperfluousfor defense,whilecut stone
for buildinghadbecomeveryvaluable.8
in its apchamberswas ratherunorthodox
proach:fromthe insideout ratherthanthe reverse. Forcenturiestheyhadbeenfilledwith
rubbish.Oncecleared,they revealedinformation
aboutthe layoutbelow,as wellas cluesto the
layoutof the upperlevelin the southernsection,
thatis, the layoutof Diocletian's
privateapartments. Buteventodayone can onlydraw
hypothesesabouttheirprecisefunctions.One
however:the
thingcan be fixedwithcertainty,
houses builtabovedidnot alwaysuse Roman
wallsfortheirfoundations.By 1955, the palace
containeda totalof 540 buildings,of which278
werehouses, accommodating
approximately
3,200 inhabitants."1
wereaccomplished
Althoughthese adaptations
withoutanygreaterarchitectural
concept,they
and order.This
weredonewithintelligence
periodalso producedsome majormonuments
of old Croatian
Slowlythe
pre-Romanesque.9
townextendedbeyondthe palacewalloutward
to the west. Underthe Hungaro-Croatian
kings
at the beginningof the TwelfthCentury,
Splitbecamea cohesiveautonomouscommune.Expansioncontinuedwestward,althoughthe
palace,withits slightlycrookedand narrow
streets,remainedthe nucleusof the Medieval
towncontainedwithinit.
From1959 to 1966, new excavationswerecarriedon in the easternsector,butwithoutany
majordiscoveries.Then,in 1968, therebegan
the Yugoslav-American
JointExcavation.
This
effortconcentrated
cooperative
mostlyin the
southeasternquarterof the palaceoverseven
differentsectors.'2Thepublishedconclusionsof
1972 provided"nofinalanswers,"butrecommendedmoreinvestigation.
Duringthis periodof growth,manyRomanesque and Gothicstructureswerebuilt,including
the BellTowernextto the mausoleum(the
churchSvetiDuje),whicheversince has been,
in KevinLynch'sterm,a "100%landmark"
of
the city.
Richvisualandwrittenmaterialon the palace
whenthe ScotCentury,
beginsin the Eighteenth
tish architectRobertAdamvisitedSplitin 1757.
Sevenyearslaterhe publishedan influential
book:Ruinsof the Palaceof the EmperorDiocletianat Spalatro[sic] in Dalmatia,dedicated
to KingGeorgeIII,duringa timeof revivedinterestin classicalRomanarchitecture.'10
*
Theseasidepalacewalltoday,withaccretians
(Photobyauthor)
*
*
Systematicexcavationsbeganin 1954, and importantissues beganto be raisedconcerningthe
protectionof the historiccenter.Projectsincludedan excavationof the spaces belowthe
datumlineof the medievalcity(thebasementof
of the spaces between
the palace),revitalization
of
the peristyleandthe wharf,andadaptation
some old residential
buildingsto house new
functions.Theexcavationof the underground
A few examplesareworthmentioningherefrom
the JointExcavation
Report.Insector2, for
example,the demolitionof severalhouses
yieldedan approximate
layoutof fourrooms,
butalso revealedtracesof "earlymedievalactivity,"as wellas demolitionand "stonerobbing"
in the laterMiddleAges and Renaissance.'3
Laterthe Reportstates (p. 40): "Themainreawas the possibility
son forthis investigation
of
wallof the
studyingthe southernperimeter
Palace.Scholarswho haveexaminedthis wall
fromthe outsidehavehelddifferentopinions
andhopedthat
aboutthe originalconfiguration
examination
of the innerside of the same wall
evidence..... Boththe
mightprovideadditional
widthandthe depthof the excavationwerelimitedby continuouspresenceof an apartment
houseat the easternside of the sector."
Thevaguenessof languageand lackof purpose
in these statementsillustrate
a verycavalierattitudeon the partof the excavatorstowardthe
pastandexistingurbancontexts.
Thefirstpost-warurbanplanfor Splitwas presentedin 1951 by the TownPlanningInstituteof
Dalmatia.Itwas revisedagainin 1958, andthen
presentedten yearslateras a moredetailedplan
for the citycenter.Mostof the workundertaken
was basedon variousconceptualand partial
therewas no masterplanstating
mini-plans;
cleargoals andobjectivesforthe entirearea.'4
m
Onepositivecontribution
of this planwas the
revitalization
of the longitudinal
axis (northsouth)of Split'shistoriccenter,and a
of the communication
between
strengthening
the NorthGateandthe wharf.Sincethe Middle
Ages, the peristylehadbeena busynodeservingthe religiousandsecularneedsof Split'sinhabitants.Whenthe NorthGatewas walledup,
the roleof the peristylewas reducedto a mere
churchsquare,andfurtherisolatedbytheblocking of the SouthernGate.Throughthe revitalizationplan,this pathhas beengivenbackthe vitalitywhichit once musthaveknown.
\.
Crte2 1
Drawing
f*.
I
I
.
.
'_:i
.^'"zet
..
. .
X
M.
.I X\i'.
'
**
-
Inaddition,some old delapidated
houses southeast of the vestibulehavenow beenupgraded
and re-adapted
for use by the UrbanPlanning
Institute.The most authenticrestoration
todayis
the SoutheastTower,now used as officespace
of HighwaySplit-Zagreb.
A
by the Department
similarapproachwas takenin the restoration
of
the Northwestern
Tower,whichwas builtup to
its originalheightby an additionof 13 feet
abovethe wallof the palace,and is now occupiedby a bank.
Inspiteof these few successfuladaptations
and
restorations,however,greatproblemsstillremain.Whatshouldone do withthe old buildcondiings wherepeoplelivein "substandard"
tions?Oncetheyaretorndown,and once
are completedor
archeological
investigations
suspended,how shouldthe gap in the urban
fabricbe filled?
Oneresponsecouldbe the approachappliedrecentlyin the historicalcenterof Bologna.New
unitswerebuiltwhichreinforced
the desirable
and
existingneighborhood
patterns lifestyles,
andthe indigenouspopulation
was transferred
therewithminimumdislocation.Rentswere
subsidizedto preventgentrification
of the area.15
No such planexistsfor Split.Contrary
to the assertionsof J. M. Fitch,16
its "comprehensive
andfar-reaching
has notyet produced
program"
the resultsfor whichit has beenapplauded.The
infilland housing
problemsof rehabilitation,
havenotadvancedmuchbeyondthe stage of
"slumclearance,"as a visitto the sites willattest. Ofwhatvalueis the new-foundarcheological evidence,andat whatpriceis it achieved?
Theparadoxof Splitis thatthe veryforcesthat
are now
putintomotionits conservation
to destoryit. Thismaybe due parthreatening
tiallyto the factthatthis ambitioustask is with-
Dioklecijo W la - sektoriiskopavrnjo1968-1974.
Diocletiors alace-Sectors of Excavation1968-197
Gr
d planof the e in 1966
Sectorsof excavation,1968-1974
(Source:JointExcavationReport)
out precedentfor Yugoslavia.It mayalso be due
in partto the economicand politicalstructureof
the country.A smallsocialistnationcannot
centersuch as Split
guaranteethata provincial
willreceivecontinuousfinancialsupportfor
such a mammothproject,fromeitherthe centralgovernmentor frominternational
agencies.
Themost recenteconomicproblemsandausterity measuresin Yugoslavia
give littlehopethat
the presenturbanpolicyand practicewillsoon
changeforthe better.As regardsthe physical
environment
per se, however,one deliberate
biasseems to haveprevailed:
the excavationof
the distantpast is consideredmuchmorevaluof a morerecent
ablethanthe safeguarding
is the subject;
past. ClassicalRomanantiquity
the Medievaland post-Medieval
fabricis the obin
or
some
instances
the
obstacle,which
ject,
mustbe clearedaway.Thisthreatensto destory
the layersencrustedoverthe centuries,and
consequentlybecomesa dangerousprecedent.
Thecontributions
madeby subsequentcultures
are neglected,theirvernacular
judgedto be
withoutany historical
value.
corner
Excavated
sectors,southeast
(Photobyauthor)
Questionsof the long-rangeconsequencesof
such a policy-culturally,architecturally
and
aesthetically-must be confronted.Splitis not,
of course,alone.Theongoingplansdealing
withAthensand Romedramatize
the problems
in historicalcenters,and provide
of intervention
us withtwo alternative
lessons.
Plaka,the historicalcenterof Athens,has been
threatenedby archeologistswho wererecommendingthe sacrificeof an entiredistrict
Centurybuildings)to seek
(mostlyNineteenth
classicalremainsbelow.Thisis a well-known
TheGreek
and closelyintegrated
neighborhood.
PrimeMinisterhimselftooka standforthe
and renovation
of Plaka,in bothits
preservation
of life."A presidenphysicalfabricand "quality
tialdecreeset strictcontrols,classified520
buildingsfor protection,and providedlow interest creditsforthe restoration
of buildings.Residentswereencouragedto remain,andthose
who leftin the 1960s wereluredback.The
populationof the areahaddroppedfrom14,000
in 1960 to 4,500 in 1970, butnow it is againon
the rise.'7
to Mausoleum
medieval
Restored
housingadjacent
(Photoby author)
la
A verydifferentbutequallyambitiousproject
was recentlyannouncedby the governmentin
Rome.A masterplanwas drawnupto excavate
and restorethe ancientforums,makingthe area
an "archeological
park."Workwas to beginin
spring1983. Onlyone avenue,Madei ForiImperiali(runningbetweenthe Coliseumand
PiazzaVenezia)wouldbe destroyed;it had
openedin 1933 andcoversmanyknownruins.
Theprojectwas a responseto the pressureof
archeologists,ecologistsand cityplannerswho
wantedto see the treasuresbelowexposed.
BothRomanandtouristalikewillgain,forthe
onlyloss willbe a few hundredyardsof tarand
to it? Shouldsome areasbe leftunexcavated,
in
orderto givefuturegenerationsan opportunity
to applynewtechniquesand new concepts?
Thisattemptto createa deadorderout of living
chaos poses a realdilemma.Thefateof the
RomanAmphitheatre
at Ariesmustbe avoided:
in the 1830s, allthe occupantswereevicted,
theirhouses andchurchestorndown,andthe
fabricof the amphitheatre
remaining
reconstituted-so thatit lookedlikeany other
Romantheatrein ruins,insteadof a unique
"compacttownwithina town."21Sucha fatehas
beenconsideredfor Split.As RebeccaWest
wrotein 1937:
gravel.'8
centuriesof strifethepalaceandthefugiTheapproaches
andaimsofAthens
andRome "During
tives haveestablisheda perfectcase of symarediametrically
an
Onesafeguards
opposed.
biosis. It has housedthem,theyare now its
entire
theothertearsoutan props.Afterthe warthere
present
community;
was a movementto
entire
areaintheinterests
ofarcheology.
But
evacuateSplitand restorethe palaceto its anineachapproach
thegoalsareclear,
consistent, cientmagnificenceby pullingdownthe houses
andtheresults
canonlybenefit
future
genera- thathadbeenwedgedin betweenits wallsand
tions.In1964,theVenice
Charter
setup
columns;butsurveyorsverysoon foundout
formediating
between
thecontradic- that
guidelines
if
wentall Diocletian's
workwouldfall
ofexcavation
andpreservation.19
But to thethey
toryclaims
Thepeoplethatgo quicklyand
ground.
a givencitymustchoosea firmpolicy
fora paraboutthe streetshavegiventhe stone the
ticular
area.20
Parts
ofSplitarenowthreatened darkly
it
help gavethem."22
thatmayleavethecitywith
byhalf-measures
scarsandslums.
What
Diocletian's
Palace
as an
mayhavebeenbuilt
eternal
monument."
Butthefactremains
thatit
hasbeenconstantly
andadapted
for
changed
over1,600years.Thusonemustapply
toita
ofexcavation
thanthat
verydifferent
philosophy
forexample,
intime
to Pompeii,
frozen
applied,
in79A.D.EachPompeiian
houseoffers,even
anauthentic
ofa singlecrosstoday,
rendering
section
oflife.Diocletian's
Palace
few
offers
suchclear-cut
"frozen
moments."
itsearFrom
itwaspillaged
liesthistory
folk
bythehumble
andfairprey
displaced
bythefalloftheEmpire,
forthosewhotookdownandcarried
away
whatever
theycould.Inbothitsoriginal
purpose
anditsadaptive
to
use,itprovided
security
thosebehind
itswalls.
inseveral
Theattempts
sectors
to reconstruct
theoriginal
wallsattheir"precise"
locations
raiseserious
and
questions
concerning
purpose
Ifbuilt,should
thesewallsbecareauthenticity.
fulcopiesoftheoriginals,
intheircomplete
reorpartial
constructions,
walls,orjustfoundations?
Howfarshould
onego?Where
should
one stop? Whataboutthe new material,andthe
oftheoldwhichhassurvived
incontrast
patina
has notyet beenclarifiedin Splitis the
exactpurposeanddefinition
of the excavation
conservaefforts,andthe lackof accompanying
tion efforts.Excavation
in a particular
sector
seems to be undertaken
morewiththe purpose
of discoveringany manifestation,
howeversigratherthan
nificant,of the ancientarchitecture,
withthe goalof uncovering"climactic
moments"connectedwiththe preciselayoutof the
palaceor the lifeof the emperor.Andeven if
such a "moment"
of space-timecan be unearthedandan exactplandrawnup, wouldthat
makeit uniqueandvaluable?Inits owntime, it
mayhavebeenthe most commonof occurrencesor architectural
practices.Thesefinds
contribumay,of course,becomean important
tionto ourfundof knowledgeon a particular
era
or place.Upto now such has not beenthe case
withSplit,whose majorstructural
containeris
andhas for centuriessatisfied
well-preserved
not onlythe curioustouristbutthe passionate
professionalas well.Thishighlyvisiblehistorical
shell must be preserved,butso mustthe life
whichhas sprungup withinandoutsideof it. In
the wordsof Rose Macaulay,
"ithas been, possibly,the most serviceableruinin the world."23
is essential
Historical
to theinhabitcontinuity
antsnotonlyforaesthetic
butforpsychological
Suchconreasons,andmustbe maintained.
is
of
one
the
most
desirable
characteristinuity
ticsof anycity,andconstitutes
itssenseof idenanongoingdialogue
between
the
tity.Itprovides
individual
andhisenvironment-for
inhabitants
theirenvironment
inquitea different
perceive
orthearcheologists.
waythantheplanners
inSplit'scenter,andthe
Gapshavebeencreated
vacantlotsechoemptiness.
Itis notclearwhat
purposehasbeenserved.So farveryfewrehabilitations
havebeenmadewithin
thepalace
residents
have
perimeter.24
Manylow-income
beendisplaced
to makeroomforsomemunicipalagency,office,orbank.Inthisrespect,
restoration-nomatter
howsuccessful
beendubiousinitsattitude
aesthetically-has
toward
theresidents,
someof whomlivedhere
inhousesbuiltbytheirancestors
forgeneratheplacestheirown.
tions,andwhoconsidered
Sitesof architectural
digshavebeenabandoned,
oronlypartially
withnoapparent
reconstructed,
plansfortheirmaintenance.
Manyhavesimply
becomepublicdumping
grounds,uglyandunfurther
sanitary,
encouraging
neglectbyinhabitantsandpassers-by.
Ifthishadhappened
under
otherthana socialist
anytypeof government
to providing
andreguone,whichis committed
all
needs,
lating housing
perhaps
squatters
wouldhaveinvaded
thepalaceonceagain.
Atpresent,thestateof Diocletian's
Palaceis in
flux-and thismaybenefit
certain
groups,espeTourists
havealwaysenciallyarcheologists.
joyedthehistorical
Split,a smallworldof its
own.Thefewadditional
holesandgarbage
heapsindesolatepocketswithinthecitycenter
areof no interest,
exceptto a fewstudentsof
archeology-whomustscrapetheaccumulated
trashoffthesiteof recentexcavations
to see or
takea picture.
Thesitesarelefttotallyunatorderor purpose.
Theordinary
tended,without
touristas wellas thelocalinhabitant
mustbe
of these
taughtthevalueandtheadvantages
vestpocketslumenvironments.
newly-created
Notes
Infact, one wondersif thereeverwas any
aestheticaim or practicalpurposebehindthese
demolitionsin Split.Itis too earlyto assess accuratelythe resultsof archeological
research,
andsuch wouldlie outsidethe limitsof the
presentarticle.Butan objectiveinventoryshould
be made,now, andthe presentmethodology
shouldbe subjectedto some hardquestioning.
Perhapsa midwaycorrectivecoursecan be
taken,so the cityis not led intoan irreversible
abyss.
Inthe wordsof ItaloCalvino,"Thecityexists
andit has a simplesecret:it knowsonlydepartures,not returns."25
Abandoned
siteof archeological
digs
(Photobyauthor)
14 Oneexception
1 Rudofsky,
to thisgeneralrulewastheRegional
TheProdigious
Builders
Harcourt
Brace
Planof 1970,
Bernard
whichdefined
Jovanovich
to
1977,p. 341.
Splitas a specifictownwithspecificfunctions
(NewYork)
2 Ibid.,p. 351.
fulfillwithin
the region.
3 Diocletian's
15 Fitch,JamesMarston
in Southeast
Palace:JointExcavations
Historic
Preservation
McGraw-Hill
Part
Quarter,
(New
One(Split)1972andDiocletian's
"TheBologna
Palace:American-Yugoslav
Francesco
1982,p. 45. SeealsoBandarin,
York)
JointExcavations,
PartTwo(Split)1976.University
andHistoric
ina Communist
of
Renovation
Experience:
Planning
in Donald
Minnesota/Urbanisticki
zavodDalmacije-Split,
undertheeditorof European
ed., TheConservation
City,"
Appleyard,
CitiesMITPress(Cambridge,
andSheilaMcNally.
Marasovic
shipof JerkoandTomislav
Mass.)1979,pp. 178-202.
4 Lynch,KevinTheImageof theCityMITPress(Cambridge,
16 Fitch,op. cit.,p. 76.
17 TheNewYork
a
Times,December
26, 1982:"Athens
Mass.)1960,p. 7-9.
Restoring
Historical
Area."
5 SeeWilkes,
J. J. Dalmatia
Harvard
Press(Cambridge,
University
18 TheNewYork
Tlmes,January
16, 1983:"RomePlansto Restore
Mass.)1969,ch. 2, p. 10.
Grandeur
ThatWasRome."
6 Vrtruvius
TheTenBooksofArchitecture
DoverPublications
(New
19 Oneof thecentral
issuesaffecting
inarticles
1960,p. 23.
York)
Splitis contained
7 Novak,GrgaPovijest
#6 and#11 of theVeniceCharter:
of Split,vol. 1]
SplitaKnjiga
prva[History
ARTICLE
6. Theconservation
of monument
Matica
Hrvatska
Novinsko-izdavacko
Pododbor,
impliespreserving
poduzece
a settingwhichis notoutof scale.Wherever
thetraditional
"Slobodna
Dalmacija"
(Split)1957,p. 36.
demoli8 Wilkes,op. cit., p. 389.
settingexists,it mustbe kept.Nonewconstructions,
tionor modification
whichwouldaltertherelations
9 Marasovic,
Tomislav
TheMonuments
of mass
of Historical
Centre
Split
andcolourmustbe allowed.
Izdavacki
i umjestnosti
zavodJugoslavenske
znanosti
akademije
ARTICLE
11. Thevalidcontributions
of allperiodsto thebuild1967,p. 8.
(Zagreb)
mustbe respected,
sinceunityof styleis
10 Otherpublications
in 1802,L.CassasandJ. Lavallee
followed:
ingof a monument
nottheaimof a restoration.
Whena building
includes
the
intheirbookentitled
Pitpublished
manyengravings
Voyage
workof different
of the
et Historique
en Istrieet Dalmatie
Themost
superimposed
periods,therevealing
toresque
(inFrench).
statecanonlybejustified
inexceptional
seriousscholarly
circumwaspublished
work,withrestoration
underlying
drawings,
stancesandwhenwhatis removed
is of littleinterest
andthe
in 1911byErnestHebrard
andJacquesZeiller:
LePalais
Spalato:
material
whichis brought
to lightis of greathistorical,
arde Diocletien
Mostrecently
a special25thanniver(inFrench).
oraesthetic
of
Institute
value,andits stateof preservation
cheological
saryissueof URBS(bytheUrban
Planning
theaction.....
to thepalace(inCroatian).
1973,wasdevoted
goodenoughto justify
Dalmatia-Split),
Formoreinformation,
see thediscussion
11 Preveden,
R. A History
Francis
of theCroatian
byJamesMarston
PeoplePhilosophProblems
andTechniques
of
icalLibrary
Fitch,"International
1955,vol.I, p. 24.
Symposium,
(NewYork)
Preservation
of Historic
Urban
in URBS,Split,
12 Thearchitectural
features
unearthed
consistedmainly
of a mosaic
Centers,"
16-18,XII1970,p. 84.
(sector1), a towerroom(sector3), anda shaft(sector7). One
20 Another
successfulresolution
of theproblem
is thecaseof the
drawnwasthattheeasternsideof thepalace
majorconclusion
recentexcavation
of a greatAztectemplein downtown
Mexico
nowappears
different
fromthehypothetical
reconstruction
of
intheveryheartof thecity
unearthed
andNiemann's
Tomislav
Adam,Hebrard
City.In1978,archeologists
plans[Marasovic,
theremains
of ElTemplo
Cleargoalswereestablished
at
Procedure
fortheProtection
andRevitalization
of
Mayor.
Methodological
theverybeginning
anda methodical
Inrecord
UrbanCenters,
Historic
technique
applied.
papersinURBS,Split,16-18.XIl1970,
time,41/2years,anentirecityblockof dilapidated
housingwas
p. 139].Othersectors(suchas 7) didnotaddto previous
thetempleexposed,andthousands
of artobjectsdisremoved,
of theplanorfunctions
of thepalace.Theentirearea
knowledge
covered.Thenewsitebecamea sourceof national
of sector6 wasleveled,andthecaldarium
of a Roman
bathwas
pride,andinvolvedcloselythePresident
Jose LopezPortillo,
whonotonlyalunearthed.
Theexcavations
until1974.Someprevious
continued
locatedmajorresources
fortheproject
butpersonally
coauthored
sectorswereexpanded,
andotherswereopened,inspiteof
a handsome
andauthoritative
volumeonthesubject:
JoseLopez
Insector3 a housewasdemolished
difficulties.
manytechnical
LeonPortilla,
Eduardo
Portillo,
to makepossiblefurther
Matos,ElTemplo
Miguel
Mayor,
studyof thearea.Insector2 nowork
1981.
Bancomer,
couldbeginuntiltheSplithousingauthorities
condemned
and
21 Rudofsky,
a largeapartment
demolished
op. cit., p. 344.
house,andnotmuchadditional
BlackLambandGreyFalconPenguin
Books
progresscouldbe madeuntilthehousesoneithersidewerealso 22 West,Rebecca
1982,p. 139.
torndown.Thesamefateawaited
insectheapartment
(NewYork)
building
23 Macaulay,
RosePleasure
of RuinsWeidenfeld
andNicolson
tor4, whichwasalsodeclared
a "substandard"
and
dwelling
1966,p. 410.
insector9 ledto the
demolished.
(London)
consequently
Investigations
24 Thisobservation,
aftera recentvisitto thesite,contradicts
the
of severalroomsof a Roman
bathbelowtheexisting
discovery
assertion
madebyJamesMarston
FitchinHistoric
Preservation:
HotelSlavija-butplansto continue
in
wereabandoned
clearing
Curatorial
of theBuiltWorld
McGraw-Hill
aboutthefutureof the
Management
1973,dueto highcostsanduncertainty
(New
orartistically
old
area[Diocletian's
1982,p. 74:"Ifhistorically
Palace:American-Yugoslav
JointExcavations,
York)
significant,
arerehabilitated,
eitherfordwellings
orforotheruses.
buildings
op. cit., p. 53].
andreplaced
Otherwise,
13 Diocletian's
Palace:American-Yugoslav
JointExcavations,
theyaredemolished
bynewhousinginop.
fill.Allnewconstruction
is designed
withtheold
to be congruent
cit., p. 13.
intermsof size,mass,materials,
etc. Newapartments
aretypical. ... ."
25 Calvino,
ItaloInvisible
Weaver.
Harcourt
Cities,trans.William
BraceJovanovich
1972,p. 56.
(NewYork)