Museum of city Split
Location: Basements of Diocletian’s Palace, MGS Small Gallery, Medieval Military Walkway, Papalić Palace, Old Town Hall, Emanuel Vidović Gallery
Date: 30 January 2026, from 6:00 PM to 12:00 AM
SCHEDULE OF GUIDED TOURS AND PROGRAMS BY LOCATIONS AND THEMES (Please note which tours require prior registration):
- Basements of Diocletian’s Palace
Musical interlude by the Split Soloists: 6:00–8:00 PM
- Museum of the City of Split – Papalić Palace
The new permanent exhibition of the Museum of the City of Split is based on the concept of a museum in situ—a museum that grows out of its architectural context, using the space as a narrative backbone and an active interlocutor with the visitor. The palace does not merely “house” the exhibition—it is the exhibition.
Within this synthesis of space, time, and content, the contemporary visitor is invited to uncover multiple layers of meaning: from archaeological remains of Roman walls discovered on the ground floor, through the story of medieval adaptations, to the humanist spirit of the late 15th century when the palace became the home of the nobleman Dmine Papalić—a passionate collector of ancient inscriptions and a close friend of Marko Marulić. Thanks to their research of sites in nearby Solin, the palace courtyard became one of Split’s earliest lapidariums, and the city joined the broader European humanist dialogue with antiquity. Special value is added to the new exhibition by recent archaeological research conducted in the palace’s ground-floor rooms over the past several years. Previously unknown fragments of Roman and early medieval walls, cisterns, and architectural elements were discovered, testifying to the uninterrupted continuity of life at this site from the 3rd century to the present day. These finds are not merely displayed—they are integrated into the exhibition narrative through in situ presentation, lighting interventions, scale models, and multimedia, allowing the past to quite literally “emerge” before the visitor.
- Old Town Hall
Exhibition: “Between Dreams and Reality”, from the collection of the National Museum of Modern Art
The exhibition brings together works by prominent artists of Croatian modern and contemporary art, including Vlaho Bukovac, Miroslav Kraljević, Nasta Rojc, Ivan Rabuzin, Miljenko Stančić, Mirko Rački, Vanja Radauš, Emanuel Vidović, Zlatan Vrkljan, as well as contemporary practices represented by the work of Kata Mijatović. Together, they encompass nearly one hundred and fifty years of Croatian art.
The works presented move along the boundary between reality and imagination—between inner states, dreams, visions, and personal narratives. These artworks do not strive for a mere depiction of the visible world; instead, they open a space for introspection and emotional experience, exploring the relationship between the conscious and the unconscious, the real and the perceived.
Musical interlude by the Split Soloists: 10:00 PM – 12:00 AM
- Emanuel Vidović Gallery
On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the death of Tonka Petrić (1929–1996), whose birth and youth were closely connected to Split, the Museum of the City of Split presents an exhibition dedicated to her painting and poetry. The exhibition is curated by museum advisor Nela Žižić.
The exhibition of paintings at the Emanuel Vidović Gallery presents a selection of works by Tonka Petrić held in Split and on the island of Brač. It enables visitors to follow the main developmental line of her artistic work and highlights the artist as a significant protagonist of Croatian painting in the second half of the 20th century.
Exhibition opening: 7:00 PM




