Original scientific paper

ON SOUTH PORTAL OF THE SPLIT CATHEDRAL

Tomislav Marasović ; Split, Fakultet prirodoslovno matematičkih znanosti i odgojnih područja

Abstract

South portal of the Split Cathedral was dated to the 7th or 8th century by earlier scholars. But, in the early 20th century most of them dated it to Romanesque period, its lintel to the 12th and door-posts to the 13th centuries.On the basis of analysis of construction, shape and decoration, and the analogies with reliefs from earlier Pre-Romanesque period, the author suggests dating to the 7th and 8th centuries and comes to the following conclusions:1. All parts of the portal which were made from earlier ancient pieces are an integral sculptural work with a decoration running from the lintel to the door-posts.2. The form of the portal, and especially the execution with matched lintel suggests early Mediaeval origin, not later than 11th century. 3. Stylistic analysis reveals close parallels with Pre-Romanesque reliefs from Visigotic and Merovingian art before the second half of the 8th century.4. The only historical data concerning this, that is, the description of the transformation of Jupiter's Temple into the Split Cathedral, links the south portal and the activity of John of Ravenna, the first Archbishop of Split. Although there are many controversies concerning the exact time of his activity, it should be pointed out that most scholars (both from earlier and most recent times) date Archbishop John to the late 7th or early 8th centuries.This is fully consistent with the dating suggested by stylistic analysis both of construction and decorations. 5. The earlier supposition should also be accepted for one more reason. If by any chance the door had been made in the 13th century when Thomas the Archdeacon was writing his Historia Salonitana, or somewhat earlier, Thomas might have had more reliable data. Yet, he attributed this door to the first Archbishop of Split. There are no traces of later rebuilding of the original door which might indicate that Romanesque fragments were built into it. From all this it was possible to suggest the second half of the 7th or early 8th centuriesas possible date of building the south portal of the Split Cathedral, at least until some new, more reliable data appeared.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

117952

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/117952

Publication date:

10.2.1992.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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