Presentation of permanent museum display was conditioned by space provided by Vitturi Castle, cultural monument of high category.
Authors of permanent display were also faced by problems of representing architectonic and style layering of the object whose elements (defense towers, fireplaces and renaissance windows) necessarily had to become part of museum presentation. That is way this display consists of two entireties, different in the type of exhibited materials and in the way it is exhibited.
The artifacts of cultural-historical collection are displayed in the southern, middle and the largest of halls on the second floor, and artifacts of archeological collection are displayed in the eastern wing of the object. They are interconnected by the area of open gallery, where stone exhibits are displayed and also the chart showing historic sites.
Visitors are guided across the gallery into the south hall of the object where cultural-historical material is displayed connected to period from 16th to 20th century. Chronological approach is obvious in interpretation of urban development and architecture of Kaštela’s settlement, also their defense against Turkish invasion, what has anticipated their construction in the first place. Objects of museum-archive matter (heraldic matter, photos, drawings, charts, casts, breadboards, objects of artistic craft and every day use, stylistic furniture, objects of sacral character) are presented in representative renaissance hall. In this way they illustrate the life of wealthy, noble and patrician families and they outline in general features the identity of Kaštela’s cultural history.
Entering the eastern wing of this object one can see a part of display consisting of artifacts of archeological collection. They take us into the period of deepest history; findings are 35.000 to 40.000 years old, the era of Paleolithic. There you can see stone and bone findings from the site known as the Cave of Mujo (Mujina pećina), the only Paleolithic archeological site in Dalmatia that was systematically researched. Later Iron Age left in the landscape still visible Illyrian hill-forts and piles on hill tops and slopes of Kozjak, Opor and Trećanica. This density of findings appears again in the time of Roman rule and it continues through the early Middle Age till today.
Before the Kaštela were established in the 15th century, there were proto-urban centers in Kaštela’s field. In the early ages of Roman rule Roman colony of Siculi was established in the western part of Kaštela’s field, on the foundations of earlier Hellenistic port. Researching the site of Resnik, under the sea and on the land, confirmed the sites of late-Hellenistic and Roman port, with the plentitude of ceramic findings. Uniqueness is comprised in the quantity of relief ceramics in form of wine glasses and craters which makes Resnik one of the greatest archeological sites on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea.
Second settlement that was possibly to develop into the new urban center was the early Middle Age village of Ostrog, but because of nearby Trogir and Split it did not manage to transform itself into town. Period of early Middle Age in this area is connected to immigration of Croatian people and establishing of villages on the slopes of Kozjak. Presentation of grave archeological material from Radun, Gajine and Bijaći-Stombrate, photos of small old-Croatian churches and Trpimir’s Charter connected to Bijaći – the residence of Croatian rulers of Trpimirovich dynasty, all this vividly describes this period which is of utmost importance for early history of Croatian people.
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