Salona, Archaeological site in Solin, Croatia

Salona lies in Solin, about six kilometres from Split, on low limestone ridges above the Jadro river. Its walls, forum, theatre, amphitheatre, public baths and aqueduct survive; the amphitheatre, built in the second half of the 2nd century, held nearly 19,000 spectators. The city walls incorporated the aqueduct and the amphitheatre, and the Porta Caesarea gate was flanked by octagonal towers from Augustus's time.

The city began in the 3rd century BC as an Illyrian settlement and later became capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia. Avars and Slavs destroyed it in the 7th century, prompting residents to move to Split.

Salona's name is not linked in the sources to salt; the city grew beside the Jadro river, called Salon in antiquity, and its full Roman title was Colonia Martia Iulia Salona. The first bishop, Venancius, came from Rome to organise the church there, and Bishop Domnius, born in Syria, was executed in the persecutions of 304. The amphitheatre substructures held two shrines of Nemesis that Christians later turned into memorial chapels.

The grounds are mostly open air without shade, so arriving early morning or late afternoon works best. Sturdy shoes are advisable because paths are uneven and gaps appear between stones.

A small Roman cemetery lies right next to the amphitheater, its gravestones showing inscriptions in Latin and Greek. The Tusculum building at the edge of the grounds preserves fragments from Split cathedral and its old bell tower.