The beauty of Kaštela, i.e. the Kaštela field, inspired many poets who described this beauty in their poems. Andrija Kačić Miočić wrote:

“It’s nice for you, poor man, to look
from Solin to the city of Trogir
ter Kaštela plain to see
which are the occasion of the mission.”

“Seven villages lined up like seven swans” grew into the city of Kaštela. Vineyards, olive groves, cherry and fig plantations and autochthonous Mediterranean vegetation still alternate with protected monuments of natural heritage and park architecture on most of the Kaštela field.
An olive tree (olea europea) grows in Kaštel Štafilić, which the people of Kaštel call Mastrinka. It is over 1,500 years old and is assumed to have been brought from southern Italy or Greece. Since the property of Roman veterans used to be on that area, it is assumed that it is a remnant of some agricultural property of that time.
The olive belongs to the oilseed variety and has small leaves and fruits. It has developed a root system in an area of 100 meters, its trunk is 6 meters in diameter, its crown diameter is 22 meters, and its height is 10 meters. It was declared a natural monument in 1990.
The crop is processed into olive oil, which, in replicas of Greek lacrimarie, is an autochthonous Kastelan souvenir.
Honey oak (quercus pubescens willd) located next to the Romanesque church of St. Kuzma and Damjan in Kaštel Gomilica, with its beauty and size attracts the attention of all visitors to this old Kastel area.
The park around the “Palace” hotel in Kaštel Stari, which was founded in 1910 by Dr. Petar Kamber, the former owner of the hotel and a lover of Kaštela, is also a monument of park architecture. The park covers an area of 35,000 square meters.
On the eastern slopes of Kozjak, in Kaštel Sućurac, there is Kaočina gaj, a unique example of vegetation and floristic well-preserved tall maquis and other autochthonous species, which is protected by law for this very reason.

Historical landscape – Park Vitturi

Radoš Micheli Vitturi, a nobleman from Kaštel Lukšić and at the same time a well-known agricultural expert and president of the Lukšić Agrarian Academy, built the first orchard in Kaštela in the second half of the 18th century. This is evidenced by the Vitturi family’s votive painting with the figure of St. A hand holding a flower in the palm of its hand, which originates from 1760. Today, that park is known as Park Vitturi. It is located on the coast of Kaštel Lukšić and occupies an area of 7450 square meters. Adding to the claims of its origin is the classicist frame and Renaissance-baroque boxwood (Buxus sempervirens L.) embroidery.
It was declared a monument of nature and culture in 1968. The explanation of the Regional Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments states: “Vitturi Park, due to its width and access from the sea, represents a unique monument of our old horticulture. Similar parks in Dalmatia are very rarely preserved, so this one, along with Gučetićev in Trsten, Garanjinov in Trogir and Borellivi in St. Filip and Jakov, can be counted among those rare monuments of our garden architecture”.
Boxwood embroidery, old examples of cypress, Aleppo pine, laurel pine (Cupressus L., Pinus halepensis L., Pinus pinea L., Laurus nobilis L.) and others are preserved in the garden. Exotic trees such as e.g. firmiana (Firmiana simplex Bois.) from the cocoa family, fragrant calicanthus, etc. The garden was neglected for decades, but its surface was preserved and is now regularly maintained.
In order for the park to become one of our tourist attractions, it must first be renovated and revitalized, for which project documentation is required.

School botanical garden O.Š. Sharp

Not long after the relocation of O.Š. in Kaštel Lukšić to a new building in 1976, students and teachers began to decorate the completely neglected spatial environment.
Around the school building, on an area of 4 hectares, more than 1,400 plant varieties grow that come from all over the world and are mainly from the Mediterranean subtropical climate.
The largest part is occupied by a park – an arboretum, built in the landscape style of an English park.
Due to its size and favorable micro-climate, the southern garden is the richest part of the school’s botanical garden. There are groups of autochthonous and exotic trees, shrubs, perennials and flowering plants, for example camphor trees, eucalyptus, avocado, acacia, sequoia, Lebanese and Himalayan cedar, jasmine, bougainvillea, etc.
A group of aromatic and medicinal plants, a rockery with succulents, and a field with plants of moist habitats attract the attention of visitors.
In the northern garden there is a “small park” built in the French style, strictly symmetrical lines with a low boxwood hedge and a rich collection of oleanders. A stone stage for cultural and artistic events was built on this area.
An integral part of the garden is the olive grove, which, with its 170 trees and 45 varieties of local and foreign olives, is the largest collector’s grove on the Croatian coast.

Biblical garden of Stomorija – the shrine of Our Lady of Stomorija

On the southern slopes of Kozjak, as far back as 1189, the church of St. Mary of Špiljan, today known as Our Lady of Stomorija. On that m the place where spirituality and nature meet, the Bible Garden was founded. Plane trees, olives, figs, vines and plants mentioned in the Bible have been growing there for centuries. Due to the dedication of nature lovers, many other species were planted, such as Judas tree, laurel, action, herbs and fragrant herbs, etc.
In the vestibule there is a memorial stone, the author’s work of the sculptor Marko Gugić, on which it is written: “In memory of the second coming of St. Father John Paul II, we founded the Bible garden in Stomorija nad zaljevom. Pučani Kaštela on September 27, 1998.” an olive tree that the Holy Father blessed in Split that same year.

To the north of the church, the terraced area of Jidro is landscaped, under whose old olive trees, and in honor of the Croatian giants, the Column of Stone Megaliths was erected. These great men were inspired by the Bible in their work, so they are mentioned as such – St. Jeronim (translation of the Bible into Latin), Juraj Dalmatinac (builder of religious buildings), Marko Marulić (song of Judith and others), Bartol Kašić (translation of the Bible into Croatian) and Ivan Meštrović (sculptor of Biblical motifs).
On the small island in the stream, a wooden sculpture of Noah’s Ark, the work of the famous artist Vasko Lipovac, will welcome everyone.
The stone Way of the Cross on Our Lady’s Field, on which the Stations of the Cross are represented by fragrant myrtle bushes, leads to the Cross of Life, the work of sculptor Kažimir Hraste.
A small vineyard has been planted at the viewpoint, which offers a beautiful view of the Kaštela field and the bay, as a monument to the vine and the vine. In it, along with other autochthonous types of vines, there is Kaštelanski crljenak, known in the world, especially in California (USA), as Zinfandel, which originates from Kaštela.
Thanks to the efforts of the City Administration, which restores city parks, and the association of the residents of Kaštela, which strives to harmonize life needs and preserve the environment, in 2003, the City of Kaštela won the bronze award “Entente Florale” in the category of cities, awarded by the European Association for Flowers and the Environment. for flowers and landscaping) from Brussels

Kozjak
Mount Kozjak

The Bay of Kaštela is surrounded from the north by the hills Kozjak, Opor and Trečanica, which gently descend to the sea. The highest and longest mountain is Kozjak, which stretches for 16 km from Klis in the east to the Malačka pass in the west. The most impressive is its rock, which is also the longest in Croatia but not too high (50-250 m). The highest peak is Veli vrj (779 m).

The plant cover that grows on the southern slopes – lamprey, myrtle, brnistra and planica – characterizes the Mediterranean flora, while on the northern slopes we meet white and black hornbeam, black ash, oak, etc., which characterize the sub-Mediterranean flora. Several types of endemic plants grow on Kozjak, including orchids.

In the past, caravan routes led over Kozjak mountain. Today, there are approximately 80 km of marked hiking trails in Kozjak and the surrounding mountains of Kaštelska Zagora, which are pleasant for recreational hiking. The rocks of Kozjak are known for their alpinist climbing routes (e.g. near the mountain lodge “Malačka”) that are not demanding and can be mastered by recreationalists as well.

A fire road passes through the slopes of Kozjak, which makes it possible to reach every mountain lodge by bicycle, and in the same way it is possible from the eastern to the western part of the mountain.

The Dalmatian Mountaineering Route and the “Cradle of Croatian Statehood Bijaći – Klis” Mountaineering Route lead through the peaks of the Kaštela Mountains. In a length of 30 km, 19 checkpoints are covered, most of which are sacred buildings built during the time of Croatian national rulers (St. Marta in Bijaći, St. Nofar Stomorija, St. Juraj of Radun, St. Ivan Biranj, St. Kuzma and Damjan, St. Juraj of Putalje and others) that stretch all the way to the Hollow Church in Solin.

It is rare that in such a small space there are 4 mountain lodges (Putalj in Kaštel Sućurac, Koludar in Kaštel Kambelovac, Split and Malačka in Kaštel Star), one mountain shelter (Orlovo gnjezdo in Kaštel Kambelovac) and a hunting lodge where hikers can get refreshments and lodging.

Mountaineering societies will be happy to provide groups of mountaineers and individuals with guides – mountaineers who will enable them to enjoy the view of Kaštela, Kaštela Bay, Trogir, Split and the central Dalmatian islands and the Kaštela Zagora.

Kaštela Crljenak
Kaštela Crljenak

Kaštelanski Crljenak is an old, almost forgotten Croatian variety that has recently been attracting the attention of the local and foreign viticultural public. Namely, it was established that Kaštelanski Crljenak and the American variety Zinfandel have an identical genetic profile, i.e. that they are the same variety of wine, which helped to solve the mystery of its origin.

This variety, under the name Zinfandel, was brought to the USA, specifically to Long Island, from the Imperial State Nursery in Vienna (which housed numerous varieties of the then monarchy) in the early twenties of the 19th century. In the north-east of the country, it quickly became a valued variety, first as a zobatica, while in colder areas it is an uzga Jana and inside the greenhouse. About thirty years later, it was transferred to California, where it spread very quickly, especially during the so-called Gold rushes. In the eighties of the 19th century, it acquired the status of the most widespread variety in America.

The popularity of Zinfandel, primarily in America, continues today. It occupies over 23% of the total area of the vineyard and is cultivated by more than 200 producers. In the USA, it is highly valued as a variety that produces strong and full-bodied, intensely colored wines. Compared to some other black varieties, his wines are soft and drinkable, with a pronounced varietal aroma that varies from discreet floral to strong fruity aromas. The quality and character of the wine largely depend on the area of cultivation, the age of the plantations and the technology used. Rose wine of this variety is also known, so-called. White Zinfandel, which for a long time was at the top of popularity among American wines. From year to year, the circle of his admirers grew, so in 1991 the Zinfandel Advocates and Producers Association (ZAP) was founded, the goal of which was the promotion of this variety and the wine itself, as well as support for professional and scientific research of this variety.

Many studies related to this variety dealt with its origin, which, since there were unknowns, aroused great interest from the very beginning of cultivation. Although it was known that together with other varieties of the noble vine (Vitis vinifera L.) it was brought from Europe, due to the position it occupies in American culture and history, it was even considered an American variety and wine (America\\’s vine and wine ). The first discovery related to the origin dates back to 1967. In that year, prof. Austin Goheen from the University of Davis, California (University of California, Davis) tasted different varieties of wine in Italy and noticed a variety called Primitivo that reminded him of Zinfandel. Comparative research led to the conclusion that Zinfandel and Primitivo could really belong to the same variety. The final confirmation of this theory was given by prof. Carole Meredith from the University of Davis who, using the so-called DNA fingerprinting proved their genetic identity. However, since Primitivo is grown in Italy for a relatively short time, shorter than Zinfandel in America, and if some documents are to be believed that Primitivo was brought to the Italian province of Puglia from the eastern coast of the Adriatic, the question of origin remains open. This made the Croatian coast interesting as a possible homeland of this variety. Due to the morphological similarity with Primitiva or Zinfandel, about twenty years ago, Plavac mali was also mentioned as a possible third synonym for the same variety, and over time this assumption gathered more and more like-minded people. In order to be able to continue her research work on the origin of Zinfandel, prof. With the help of some American producers and collaborators from the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Zagreb, Meredith visited Dalmatia and collected over 150 samples of Plavac mali in different locations. The results showed that Zinfandel and Plavac mali are two different varieties, but that they are genetically very close. In other words, it was concluded that Zinfandel is one of the “parents” of Plavac mali. Encouraged by this discovery, Croatian scientists Maletić and Pejić continued their search, during which they also discovered another “parent” of Plavac mali – Dobričić, an old variety from the island of Šolta. This narrowed the search area to Šolta, Brač, Čiovo and the central Dalmatian coast. Among the numerous samples collected, there was also a sample of the Kaštelanski Crljenak variety. The analysis showed an identical genetic profile of Crljenko and Zinfandel from Kastelani, which finally solved the mystery of the origin of the most popular variety in America. Additional proof of the Croatian origin of this variety is provided by the discovery of a close family relationship between many other Croatian autochthonous varieties and Zinfandel / Primitivo / Kaštelan Crljenko.

Kaštel Sućurac
In Kaštel Sućurac, there is the oldest defensive tower, which was built in 1392. built by the Archbishop of Split, A. Gvaldo, in order to protect the villagers of Putalj, located on the slopes of Kozjak around the church of St. Jurja. Through a series of additional interventions, the tower became a settlement by the sea.

In 1488, Archbishop Averaldo built his summer house there, and the castle took its final shape in 1509. The oldest core of Sućurac consists of the Kaštilica complex, which consists of the courtyard of a fortified palace – a summer house, on the south wall of which there are lavishly decorated windows in the style of high Gothic and country houses. Unlike other settlements, here the square is formed on the south side of the summer house. Today, it houses the “Podvorje” exhibition space, where part of the archaeological finds from Putalje are preserved.

Only the bell tower remains of the old parish church built in the 16th century, because the church was demolished in 1943 during the Allied bombing.
In the treasury of the new parish church, a copy of Trpimir’s gift written on March 4, 1852 is preserved. in Bijaći, in front of the church of St. Marte from the 16th century. In addition to the gift certificate, the stone arch of Staro Sućurak, other stone monuments and parts of wooden barcon sculptures from the altar of the old parish church are still kept here, as well as a large number of items about d gold and silver (useful church objects and jewelry – part of the Kastela folk costume).

North of Kaštel Sućurac is the parish church of Our Lady of Doca, today better known as Our Lady of the Cold. Nelada was the parish church of the village of Sela. Even further north, on the slope of Kozjak, there are the remains of the pre-Romanesque church of St. Juraj of Putalje, which originates from the 9th century. and it is the endowment of Prince Mislav. Fragments of braided ornamentation have been preserved from it. The new church was built in 1927. Archaeological research conducted around the church and at the nearby Gajina cemetery revealed first the Roman and then the prehistoric layer.

Kaštel Sućurac is the starting point of the marked hiking trail that leads to Vela stina, to the Putalj mountain lodge (480m), along the path to the Vrata pass on the Kozjak ridge and west to the church of St. Port (690m)..

[castle, castle, castle Sućurac, courtyard, square, seven castles, Kastelan Bay]
[castle, castella, castle sućurac, seven castles, ladies on the cold, castle church, Kastelan Bay]
[barbarinac, small island, barbarinac island, castle, castle, castle sućurac, Kastelan Bay]
[Saint George, St. juraj, putalj, church of st. jurja, kaštela, kaštela, kaštel sućurac, kaštelan bay]
Kaštel Gomilica
In 1078, King Zvonimir gave the Benedictine monastery from Split a property in Kaštelansko polje, where they built the church of St. Kuzma and Damjan. The church was built in the Romanesque style on the foundations of an earlier necropolis and an early Christian church (remains of early Christian sarcophagi). It is located near the Roman villae rusticae, where the powers of St. Virgin Mary, St. Kuzma and Damjan and the Hungarian king St. Stjepan. In front of the church grows a 700-year-old honey oak under which, if the legend is to be believed, the Croatian king Zvonimir rested.

In 1545, the Benedictine nuns completed the construction of Kaštilica on a sea ridge called Gomilica. The entrance to the castle is still protected today by a high tower, which was accessed via a wooden drawbridge. In addition to the peasants, several families from the destroyed village of Kozice also moved into the fort, while the rest built their houses on the shore, in the immediate vicinity of the fort.

The old parish church from the 18th century is known for its carved baroque doorways. Fulgencije Bakotić, a carpenter and priest, was born in the middle of the 18th century in Kaštel Gomilica. He is known for making crucifixes, one of which is in the parish church, two in the Poljud monastery, one in the Museum of the City of Kaštela, and several in Italian monasteries.

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[kaštilac, kaštela, kaštela, kaštel gomilica, gomilica, Benedictine women, St. Kuzma and Damjan]
[kaštilac, kaštela, kaštela, kaštel gomilica, gomilica, Benedictine women, St. Kuzma and Damjan]
[kaštilac, kaštela, kaštela, kaštel gomilica, gomilica, Benedictine women, St. Kuzma and Damjan]
[kaštilac, kaštela, kaštela, kaštel gomilica, gomilica, Benedictine women, St. Kuzma and Damjan]
Kastel Kambelovac
Brothers Jerolim and Nikola Cambi, noblemen and landowners from Split, in 1517, in accordance with the approval from 1478. built a castle on a small island with the intention of protecting themselves and the inhabitants of the villages of Lažane and Kruševik. The castle has a cylindrical shape (the only one in Kaštela), which is very suitable for defense against enemies.

Castles of the Grissogono and Lipeo families were also built on the territory of Kaštel Kambelovac. In 1525, peasants from the old Croatian village of Kruševika built two castles – Velika and Mala Piškera. This was a unique example in Kaštela of the peasants building their own fortifications.
Due to the large number of castles, Kaštel Kambelovac has become a sprawling village.

On the slopes of Kozjak there is a small church of St. Martina od Kruševika, once the center of the village of Kruševika. Today, the church is called Our Lady of the Circle or Our Lady of the Snow. North of Kruševik, in the area of Lažana, that is, on the slope of the Kozjak hill with the same name, there is a medieval church of St. Mihovila, while on the western side of the slope there is a guardhouse – a house from the 16th century. The Kaštilica tower is located at the very top of Kozjak. Marked hiking trails lead to these churches as well as to the mountain lodges under Koludro (325 m) and Eagle’s Nest. Along the hill and to the northeast along a smooth, vertical cliff secured by a steel rope, you reach the ridge of Kozjak, from where the path leads to Veliki vraj Kozjak (780 m) – the upper part of the trail is intended only for experienced mountaineers.

[cambi, kaštela, kaštela, kambelovac kaštel, kambi, ballet school, kaštelan bay]
[cambi, castle, castle, kambelovac castle, kambi, piškera, kula cambi]
[cambi, kaštela, kastela, kambelovac kastel, kambi, small punta, kaštelan bay]
[cambi, kaštela, kastela, kambelovac kastel, kambi, small punta, kaštelan bay]
Kastel Lukšić
In 1482, Mihovil Rosani built his castle on the western part of today’s Kaštel Lukšić, which is an excellent example of the construction of castles on sea cliffs.
There was a small village around Rušinac that was abandoned for security reasons. The church of St. Ivan.

In 1487, Nikola and Jerolim Vitturi, nobles from Trogir, received permission from the Doge of Venice to build a castle by the sea to protect their families and poor people from the village of Ostrog on the Balovan ridge. Court ac was built in the style of a luxurious Renaissance palace and was completed in 1564. It consists of a southern residential two-story building with a balcony and access to the sea in case of emergency. On the northern side, there are two defensive towers and a mashikule and a drawbridge as a connection to the mainland. In the 18th century, the drawbridge was replaced by a stone one-arch bridge. In the middle of the castle there is a courtyard with arcades, while on the I and II floors. Located on the first floor of the gallery.
Today, the restored Vitturi castle houses the Museum of the City of Kaštela, the Tourist Board of the City of Kaštela and other cultural institutions. It becomes the cultural center of the City, where exhibitions, concerts, theater performances, etc. are held.

A village with a defensive wall was built around the castle. The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption was built in 1530. in the Gothic style and is located on the very northern edge of the old village. The new parish church was built in 1776. until 1817. in the late baroque style. It is a real treasury of art, paintings and sculptures. In it we find the baroque crucifix of Mr. Piazzetta (17th century), the altarpiece of Palma Mlađeg (16th century) – Assumption of the Virgin, the painting “The Virgin and Child” (15th century) on the main altar and the altarpiece of St. Arnir – the work of Juraj Dalmatinac from the 15th century.

In Lukšić there is also the Tataglia – Ambrossini castle, which was bought by Dr. Henrik Šoulavy from Prague in 1903 for his visits to the castles, and in 1909 he opened the first boarding house there.

Kaštel Lukšić is known for the legend of a young couple, Miljenko and Dobrila, the Romeo and Juliet of Kastel, whose love, although crowned with marriage, ended tragically.

In the immediate vicinity of the castle there is a park – park Vitturi, classicist type from the second half of the 18th century. It was founded by Radoš Micheli Vitturi and in 1968 it was declared a monument of park architecture. Along with Gučetić in Trsten, Garanjinova in Trogir and Borelli in Sv. Filip and Jakov, this park can be counted among the rare monuments of its kind.
Not far from the Vitturi park, there is a border stone pillar that in the Middle Ages marked the border between the possessions of the Trogir and Split manors.

The church of St. Lovre od Ostrog, a village that used to be the seat of didići – free peasants with their own properties, which was mentioned in 1171. The settlement was built on the remains of Illyrian and Roman settlements.
On Ilirska Gradina (637 m), the highest peak of the western part of Kozjak, the church of St. Ivan Birnja. On the day of St. John of Birnje was elected prefect, so the church was probably named after him.

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[Kaštel Lukšić, Botanical Garden, Kastela, Kastela, Vitturi, Rušinac, Miljenko and Dobrila]
[Kaštel Lukšić, Botanical Garden, Kastela, Kastela, Vitturi, Rušinac, Miljenko and Dobrila]
[Kaštel Lukšić, Botanical Garden, Kastela, Kastela, Vitturi, Rušinac, Miljenko and Dobrila]
[Kaštel Lukšić, Botanical Garden, Kastela, Kastela, Vitturi, Rušinac, Miljenko and Dobrila]
Kastel Stari
Coriolan Cipico, a writer, humanist and military leader in the war on Lepanto, Trogir lord, died in 1476. in Kaštel Stari, he had his castle built on the sea cliff. The castle was a combination of a fortress and a palace, separated from the mainland by a moat, and connected to the mainland by a drawbridge (log). Hence the name for the area in front of the castles – Brce (brvce). After the fire, it was rebuilt in 1493 in the Renaissance style with a courtyard with arcades and a southern balcony decorated with the family coat of arms. The inhabitants of Kozjak village Radun built their houses around the castle. Around the village in 1507. built a fort, and the perimeters of the village with streets that intersect at right angles have been preserved to this day, just like on the plan of the place from 1704. Inside the village there is a small church of St. Josip, which was built in the 17th century by Celije Čipiko.

Parish Church of St. John the Baptist, built outside the fortified village, was consecrated in 1641. and restored in 1714. The interior is decorated with five marble altars and five altarpieces. It houses a miraculous icon from the 16th century – Our Lady of Mercy, the body of St. Felicija, the protector of the village.

To the west of the church is the palace of the Celio Cega family, built in the 16th century, and a little further, in the direction of the west, the foundations of the Andreis castle can be seen in the sea.

The special feature of the new parish church is the duration of its construction, which lasted from 1871 to 1970.

The ancient Croatian church of St. Juraj of Radun from 10/11. century. It is the only church preserved in its original form. The one-nave space is decorated on the outside with shallow niches, and on the inside with fans. The outer wall of the rectangular apse is divided by niches. Archaeological research conducted on the surrounding graves indicated the continuity of burials from the 9th to the 15th century. Ancient Croatian jewelry and objects found in graves are preserved in the Museum of the City of Kaštela.

A marked hiking trail leads from Kaštel Stari to the Malačka pass (480 m). The Malačka and Split mountain lodges are located on the pass, which are also the starting points of the hiking trails towards Kozjak and Kaštelanska Zagora. It is also the most easily accessible viewpoint with a magnificent view of Kaštela Velo and Mal about the field, the bay, Split, Marjan, Trogir and the central Dalmatian islands.
A chapel with a cross was built on the nearby peak in the west direction as a memorial to all the people of Kaštela who lost their lives in the Homeland War.

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[Kaštel Stari, Kaštela, Kastela, Brce, Radun, Cipiko, Malačka]
[kaštel stari, kaštela, kaštela, brce, radun, cipiko, church of st. John the Baptist]
[kaštel stari, kaštela, kaštela, brce, radun, cipiko, riva]
[kaštel stari, kaštela, kaštela, brce, radun, cipiko, plaža]
Kastel Novi
In 1512, Pavao Antun Ćipiko, the lord of Trogir, had his castle built in the form of a quadrangular tower around which the settlement later developed, surrounded by a defensive wall on the east, north and west sides, and on the south side by the sea. On the north side, at the entrance to the village, at the place where the drawbridge was located, Brce was created, where in 1775. built fraternity house with a clock.

Parish Church of St. Peter of Klobučac was built on the foundations of a church from the 13th century. It contains a very rich treasury of silver and church vestments.

Academic sculptor Marin Studin (1895 – 1960) was also born in Kaštel Novi. He was a student of Ivan Meštrović, and the statue of St. The hand made by him adorns the church of St. Rock from the 16th century. He is also the author of the “Herald of Freedom” (horseman) monument that separates Kaštel Stari from Kaštel Novi, while the rest of his works are stored in the Studin gallery and are currently unavailable to the public.

Grape vines have been grown in the field above Kaštel Novi since time immemorial, and at the beginning of the 19th century. the vineyards were attacked and mowed down by phylloxera. After that, they were renovated, and new types of vines were planted. There are very few old varieties such as the Kastelan Crljenak, better known as Zinfandel in the world, and especially in California. Several new vineyards of this vine were also planted, and the Kastelan Crljenak vine found its place in the Bible Garden.

In 1189, the Didići from the village of Špiljana built and founded the church of Our Lady of Špiljana or Stomorija in Kaštelansko polje as a benefice and in this way acquired the right to elect a pastor who supported himself from the benefice income. A fragment of an early Christian relief depicting two dolphins and a cross is embedded in the wall of the church apse.
The church is surrounded by hundred-year-old trees, in its yard there is a water source, which provided ideal conditions for starting the Bible Garden, which was founded in honor of the first visit of Pope John Paul II. to Croatia. Some are already growing in it, and over time all the plants mentioned in the Bible will be planted.
[kaštel novi, kaštela, kastela, cipico, studin, kaštelanski crljenak, stomorija]
[kaštel novi, kaštela, kastela, cipico, studin, brce, stomorija]
[kaštel novi, kaštela, kastela, cipico, studin, brce, stomorija]
[kaštel novi, kaštela, kastela, cipico, studin, bijaci, stomorija]
Kaštel Štafilić
The fortress (castle) with a courtyard, today known as Rotondo Castle, was given in 1508. built by the Trogir lord Stjepan Štafileo, on the sea cliff.

The residential part of the castle was located on the south side, where there is also a door for leaving the castle by ships. It is interesting that the last name and the family coat of arms were taken by a grape – the Greek staphile. Around the settlement, a settlement with a rectangular floor plan was created, surrounded by a moat. The Village Gate led from the village over the drawbridge. The area is called Brce. Thus, only in Kaštel Štafilić and Kaštel Novi Brca are they located on the outskirts of the village, while in the others they are located next to the castle itself. Next to the defensive walls, the castle of the Ferra family was built, today owned by the Pera family.

In the western part of Kaštel Štafilić, there is the Nehaj tower, which was built in 1548. Ljudevit and Ivan Lodi started building. The tower was built up to the upper sills of the windows of the first floor. The works stopped after the death of the Lodi brothers, and since they had no male descendants, the daughters and sons-in-law gave up on the construction. The Nehaj Tower, although unfinished, catches the eye of artists, poets and tourists. Sometimes during high tide it looks like it is sailing on the sea.

The first church in Štafilić was built in 1566. on which numerous alterations were made to the present, baroque appearance. It contains a miraculous icon from the 16th century, traditional castellan gold jewelry, and statues of St. Blaža and St. Lucie, works by Marin Studin.

Church of St. Juraja od Žestinje is an old Croatian church from the 12th century, with a beautiful lintel decorated with stylized leaves and a cross.
Around it is an old cemetery with preserved stećci, one of which has an engraved crescent. The medieval village of Žestinj – Miran, which stretched along the slope of the Trečanica mountain, was once located in this area.

On the top of Veliki Bijać (208 m) was built the church of St. Nofra. On the facade there is an inscription about the restoration of the church, which dates back to 1475. which proves that it dates from an early age. The church is characterized by a beautiful Gothic vault.

Below the hill is Bijaći, an important historical settlement from the period of ancient times to the Middle Ages. An early Christian basilica was built on the ancient remains, and in the 9th century, the church of St. Martha. From the early Middle Ages, 9th century. until the end of the XI century. century Bijaci was one of the main centers of the Croatian state. One of them was discovered there
of the oldest old Croatian churches – the church of St. Martha. It is a pre-Romanesque three-nave building with an angular apse and the foundations of a belfry on the facade. Around it are the remains of other buildings and a Late Antique and Old Croatian cemetery.
Archaeological research was conducted at that location, during which stone furniture of ancient Croatian construction, decorated with wickerwork, was found. The finds are stored in the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments in Split (large ciborium) and in the Museum of the City of Kaštela.
He gave the present church in 1908. to build a don. Frane Bulić, next to the ruins of the church of St. Martha.

Rich finds prove that the Croatian national rulers dined there, and in the transcript of Trpimir’s donation, which was written and read on March 4, 852. it says: “I am the prince of the Croats” and “Made in a place called Bijaći”, which supports the above statement.

The macadam road between Trećanica and Opor in the direction of Prosika leads to the Tikvenjak hunting lodge, located in a hunting area cared for by the Donja Kaštela Hunting Society.

On the western border of the Kastelani area, there is Muja’s cave, where archaeological research has been carried out for many years. Many stone tools, processed animal bones and hearths were found. It has been proven that the finds are about 45,000 years old, which means that a primitive man – a Neanderthal – lived and hunted in those areas, and that in times when the land reached all the way to the island of Vis.

An exceptional monument of nature grows in Kaštel Štafilić, an olive tree that is more than 1,500 years old. It is assumed to originate from Southern Italy or Greece. It is called Stara maslina (Olea Europea) or Mastrinka, as the locals call it.
The annual harvest of this olive is processed into oil, which is used in replica glass Greek lacrimarie as an autochthonous Kastelan souvenir. It was declared a natural monument in 1990.

[kaštela, castela, old olive, kaštel štafilić, kaštelan bay, rotondo, štafileo]
[kaštela, kaštela, kaštel pera, kaštel štafilić, kaštelanski zaljev, rotondo, štafileo]
[kaštela, castella, bijaci, kaštel štafilić, kaštelan bay, rotondo, štafileo]
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Kaštela today
The town of Kaštela is located on the coast of Kaštela Bay and with over 40,000 inhabitants it is the second largest city in the Split-Dalmatia County. It stretches for a length of 17 km.
The uniqueness of our city lies in the fact that it has developed around 7 places (Kaštel Sućurac, Kaštel Gomilica, Kaštel Kambelovac, Kaštel Lukšić, Kaštel Stari, Kaštel Novi, Kaštel Štafilić) i.e. around the fortresses of the castle, and each place has its own specificities that characterize this Mediterranean end.
Agriculture is developed in Kaštelansko polje and on the slopes of Kozjak, where different cultures, traditional for this region, are grown. In recent times, the cultivation of olives, vines and cherries has also experienced a boom.
The western part of the city is tourist oriented.
In Kaštel Gomilica, there is also the newly built Kaštela marina, which allows the reception of private and charter boats.
Kaštela is one of the cities with the best traffic connections, so in addition to the Split-Kaštela international airport, there is also a train station in Kaštel Stari, while it is connected to the Split-Zagreb highway by exit-incoming junctions, the closest of which are those in Prgomet and Vučevica.

Many associations and institutions operate in Kaštela, whose activities enrich the cultural life of the city all year round. The museum of the city of Kaštela is located in the Vitturi castle, and the exhibition space is in the former bishop’s summer house in Kaštel Sućurac.
During February, carnival festivities are traditionally held in Kaštel Sućurac, Kaštel Kambelovac and Donji Kašteli (Štafilić, Novi, Stari). The tradition of these festivities in Donji Kašteli has been going on for more than 150 years.
Every year, in the period from 01.07. – 31 August, the “Kaštelan cultural summer” is held, during which more than 60 events are held – art exhibitions, theater performances, concerts of serious and popular music, folklore, sports competitions and festivals (fishing, hunting, mountaineering,… ). Events are held in all places, in the most attractive areas of the historic core of the town, Kaštela, the coast, etc.
We can especially highlight the “Evenings of Dalmatian Letters” which are held in Kastel Kambelovac in July, which nurture klapa songs in traditional and modern arrangements, and the “Fisherman’s Night in Staro”, which takes place in Kastel Staro; where you can enjoy many Dalmatian fish specialties and numerous exhibitions.

[castle, panorama, view, castle, bay]
[castle, bay, panorama, sea]
[panorama, view, castle, split]
[castle, panorama, view, bay, split]
History and cultural heritage
All historical periods have left their mark on the territory of the town of Kaštela; a prehistoric man from the Old Stone Age hunted there (Mujina cave on the western slopes with findings dating back to 45,000 BC).

Kozjak is still home to many finds that date back to the Illyrian period.

During the Greek and Roman rule, Kaštela experienced an economic boom and civilizational growth, as evidenced by the remains of many ancient villas and the Siculi settlement located on Resnik.

In the 7th century, Croats settled the gentle slopes of Kozjak, as silent witnesses of that time, as evidenced by the old Croatian churches.

The lords of Trogir and Split, together with church dignitaries, built castles on the seashore or on the cliffs to protect the harvest and the peasants. They did all this with the approval of the Venetian authorities. The fortified castles – castles, with their towers, moats, loopholes and drawbridges towards the mainland, really acted as fortresses. On the side facing the sea, they were built in the style of Renaissance summer houses, with wide windows and balconies. The inhabitants of the old villages located on the slopes of Kozjak around the castle sought refuge and safety and built new fortified settlements.

Agriculture, olive growing and viticulture were for centuries the most important branches of the economy and the foundations of the economic power of this area. This is evidenced by large churches with bell towers (decorated by famous artists of the time), silver and gold votive gifts that are still kept in church treasuries, and folk costumes known for their gold ornaments and gold embroidery.

Around 16 castles, seven villages were built: Kaštel Štafilić, Kaštel Novi, Kaštel Stari, Kaštel Lukšić, Kaštel Kambelovac, Kaštel Gomilica and Kaštel Sućurac, which grew, developed and finally merged into the city of Kaštela. In their city cores, they have preserved the autochthonous Dalmatian architecture, houses with solariums, balaturas, taverns, kalets and squares.

[old Croatian coats of arms, locality, castle, history]
Miljenko and Dobrila
In the second half of the 17th century, two noble families lived in Kaštel Lukšić – the Vitturi family with their daughter Dobrila and the nobleman Adalberto Rušinić with his son Miljenko. A handsome young man and a gentle girl fell passionately in love, and their fathers’ family feud over feudal rights over the village heavies forced them to meet and love secretly. The maid Antica helped them in this. However, the parents somehow found out about their relationship and, in order to separate them, put Dobrila under the strict supervision of her mother, Countess Marija, while Miljenko, according to the advice of the lawyer Dorothea, was sent to Venice, in the doge’s service.

It was almost impossible for Dobrila’s father, Count Radoslav, out of spite to arrange the marriage of his daughter with the much older Trogir noble Druzimir. Dobrila’s aunt, Countess Demetria, seriously doubted the naturalness and propriety of such a marriage. Miljenko, who was in Venice at the time, was sent a message about a possible wedding by a soldier from Lukšić. He managed to arrive in Kaštel Lukšić on the very day of the wedding and prevent him in the most solemn moment of the marriage vows, in front of the astonished priest Don Mavra and the multitude of astonished wedding guests who were in the local church at that moment. Dobrila’s vengeful father, Count Radoslav, decided to imprison his daughter in the monastery of St. Nicholas in Trogir, however, Miljenko tried to prevent this by meeting the ship on the coast of Trogir, where he caused a disturbance with his sword.

Because of this, the judicial authorities, with the consent of his father, Prince Adalbert, exiled him to a Franciscan monastery on the islet of Visovac, located on the Krka River near Šibenik. There, Miljenko met the villager Božica, who used to be Dobrila’s wet nurse. Through her, he sent a message to his beloved to escape from the Trogir monastery where she was at the time. After successfully deceiving the elder of the monastery, abbess Gertruda, she ran away, but Miljenko did not meet her at the agreed place, near Trogir.

Dobrila wandered completely alone in the stormy night until the bandits caught her in the morning. In great fear, the unprotected maiden, after promising to take Miljenko to the Visovac monastery, accepted the offer of dangerous road vagrants to go with them. In the meantime, Miljenko disguised himself as a friar to prevent the bandits from killing him. Namely, Dobrila’s father, Prince Radoslav, ordered his murder from the hajduk, and with a reward. Disappointed, Dobrila thought that he really got ordained and lost all hope that they might get married secretly in Visovac.

When he found out about his daughter’s escape, Prince Radoslav, proud and tyrannical, decided to use cunning to prevent family shame. Upon learning of his daughter’s escape and hurt by his tyrant father’s arrogance, Count Radoslav used cunning to prevent the family from being disgraced. He offered a hand of reconciliation to Miljenko’s always benevolent father, Prince Adalbert, after which they together sent three emissaries to Visovac whose task was to persuade the unconquered lovers, Miljenko and Dobrila, to return and have a solemn wedding in Kaštel Lukšić.

The Kaštela lovers accepted their parents’ offer. However, Dobrila’s father, Prince Radoslav, could not come to terms with the fact that Miljenko still won and that he would take his Dobrila, as his wife, to their new home, the castle of the Rušinić noble family. Overwhelmed by unconquerable hatred and revenge, on the evening after the wedding of two young people in the summer of 1690, Prince Radoslav killed his son-in-law from a holster on the bridge in front of his castle in Kaštel Lukšić.

A few months after the unfortunate event, Dobrila lost her mind due to great sadness, fell ill and died. Her last wish was to be buried next to Miljenko in the church of St. John in Rušinac, which dates back to the 16th century. Today, there is a tombstone in that church with the inscription. “Peace to the lover”. In Kaštel Lukšić, apart from their grave, there is also the original Vitturi castle of Dobrila from the 15th century. – 16th century, Miljenkov castle Rušinić from the 15th century and the old church from 1530. in which they were married. According to this legend, a novel, a drama and an opera were written.