Salona: the ruined Roman capital of Dalmatia at Solin
Salona was the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and one of the largest cities of the late Roman Empire. Its ruins lie in the modern town of Solin, around six kilometres from Split, and form the largest archaeological park in Croatia. Walls, a forum, a theatre, an amphitheatre, baths, an aqueduct and early Christian churches survive, making it a rewarding stop on any hidden-gems route through Dalmatia.
A tenth-century emperor wrote that Salona was “half the size of Constantinople”. Today the city that once ruled Dalmatia is a field of ruins among the houses of Solin, a few kilometres from Split.
The history of Salona
Salona began as a coastal stronghold and port of the Illyrian tribe of the Dalmatae, close to the Greek colonies of Tragurion and Epetion founded in the 3rd century BC. Greeks set up a marketplace here, and a large community of Italic settlers lived alongside the locals and Greeks. In 119 BC the Roman proconsul Lucius Caecilius Metellus stayed in the city. After the civil war between Caesar and Pompey, Salona sided with Caesar and became a Roman colony, the Colonia Martia Iulia Salona, and the centre of the province that became Dalmatia.
The city flourished from the age of Augustus. The old core was trapezoidal and walled, with the Porta Caesarea flanked by octagonal towers from Augustus's time. A forum with a capitol grew up in the south-east, and a theatre for about 3,500 spectators was built near it at the end of the 1st century; it is even shown on Trajan's Column in Rome. Later the city spread west and east, reached an elliptical shape roughly 1,600 m long and 700 m wide, and gained an amphitheatre in the second half of the 2nd century. The French Wikipedia puts its capacity at about 15,000. An aqueduct brought water from the Jadro spring. Burials took place outside the walls, and fine marble sarcophagi from those cemeteries are now in the Archaeological Museum in Split.
Salona was a great port. It is the only Eastern Adriatic port listed in Diocletian's Edict on Maximum Prices, and it had maritime links with Alexandria, Ephesus, Nikomedia, Seleucia Pieria and Carthage. Emperor Diocletian, who came from Dalmatia, built his huge palace some 6 km away, and that palace became the core of Split after Salona fell. In the 4th and 5th centuries the city filled with churches, including an episcopal basilica, a neighbouring church and baptistery inside the walls and shrines to martyrs outside. The Salonitan bishop was metropolitan of Dalmatia. Julius Nepos, the last Western Roman emperor, died near the city in 480.
The Gothic War brought sieges, and in 551 a Byzantine force sailed from Salona with 38 ships. In the early 7th century the frontier along the Danube and Sava collapsed, leaving Dalmatia open. According to later chronicles, Avars and Slavs largely destroyed Salona, and its people withdrew to Diocletian's Palace and nearby islands. A medieval Croatian town, Solin, later grew up east of the ruins.
Curiosities about Salona
- Constantine VII's tenth-century De Administrando Imperio describes Salona as “half the size of Constantinople”.
- Estimates of the population once stood at around 60,000; recent excavations suggest it may have been at least 80,000.
- The theatre of Salona appears on Trajan's Column in Rome.
- Salona was the only Eastern Adriatic port named in Diocletian's Edict on Maximum Prices.
- Its western necropolis, in horto Metrodori, is known for the “Cyclopean” masonry of the walls around its burial plots.
- Julius Nepos, the last Western Roman emperor, spent his final years near here and was killed close to the city in 480.
Tours near Salona
Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:
Visiting Salona
- The theatre, the amphitheatre and the stretches of wall are the most conspicuous remains above ground.
- Do not miss the Porta Caesarea, the eastern gate with octagonal towers dating from the time of Augustus.
- The episcopal centre shows how early Christian architecture developed; it is a key site for scholars of that subject.
- Many finds, including marble sarcophagi, are displayed at the Archaeological Museum in Split, so the two combine well.
- Salona lies close to the Hollow Church and Klis Fortress, which makes it easy to visit with them. The sources give no information on opening hours or access conditions, so check them before you go.
Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.
Map: where Salona is
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors
Photos of Salona
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Questions
Where is Salona and how far is it from Split?
The ruins of Salona lie in the modern town of Solin, around six kilometres from Split, in Dalmatia.
What was Salona?
It was the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and one of the largest cities of the late Roman Empire. It was founded in the third century BC or earlier and mostly destroyed in the 7th century.
What can you see at Salona?
Remains include city walls, a forum, a theatre, an amphitheatre, public baths, an aqueduct and early Christian churches. It is the largest archaeological park in Croatia.
How is Salona linked to Diocletian's Palace?
Diocletian built his palace about 6 km from Salona. After Salona fell, the palace became the core of the city of Split.
Who destroyed Salona?
According to the Byzantine De Administrando Imperio and Thomas the Archdeacon's chronicle, Avars and Slavs largely destroyed it in the 7th century.
Can Salona be combined with Klis Fortress?
Yes. Klis Fortress lies about 4 km away and the Hollow Church about 1 km, so all three fit into a single outing from Split.
Also nearby
Hollow Church
Solin · ruined 11th-century coronation church beside Salona
800 m away
Klis Fortress
Klis · royal seat and frontier fortress above Split
4 km away
Golden Gate
Split · Roman north gate with empty niches and a tiny church
5 km away
Temple of Jupiter, Split
Split · Roman temple turned baptistery inside Diocletian's Palace
5 km away