Silver Gate, Split

Four gates guard the Old Town of Split, and the Romans, never ones to miss a directional detail, named them appropriately. The Silver Gate faces east, toward the ancient Roman town of Epetia, so they called it Porta Orientalis—literally, the “eastern gate.” Straightforward, efficient, and very Roman. The other entrances' names are all about metals and practicality: Golden Gate, Iron Gate, and Bronze Gate. Diocletian may have retired from power, but he certainly didn’t retire from branding...

After Salona, the nearby Roman capital, was destroyed by Avars and Slavs around the 7th century AD, refugees took shelter within the sturdy walls of Diocletian’s Palace. The space inside was tight, so what they did was build upward. Above the Silver Gate, in a narrow corridor, they tucked in a mini-church dedicated to Saint Apolinar. Yes, a chapel above a gateway. And since good ideas travel fast, similar little churches eventually appeared above other gates, too. Medieval multitasking at its finest...

By the 18th century, the Venetians decided the Silver Gate needed a sidekick. So, they added a “small gate” next to it—because, apparently, even ancient Roman entrances benefit from a practical shortcut.

Stepping outside the Silver Gate, you can’t help noticing a lively market scene. Just opposite stands the 17th-century monastery and church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, built by the Dominicans. From imperial fortifications to monastic calm, all within a few steps.

And history doesn’t stop there. In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II passed through the Silver Gate in his Popemobile en route to visit the Cathedral of Saint Domnius. Indeed, not every Roman gate can say it has welcomed both an emperor and a pope.

So, as you walk through, don’t just pass under the arch—listen closely. These gates have seen empires rise, refugees arrive, Venetians renovate, and popes roll through. Not bad for an old doorway...