Chapel of Our Lady of the Belfry, Catholic church in Split, Croatia.
The Chapel of Our Lady of the Belfry is built into the western wall of Diocletian's Palace and features a Romanesque bell tower with barrel vaults in the transepts. The structure combines Roman foundations with medieval architectural additions that were built over centuries.
The chapel originated in the 6th century as a guardhouse but was converted when refugees from nearby communities came seeking shelter. This transformation turned it into a religious site that has served the local population since.
The chapel is connected to a painted icon of Mary that long hung within the building and shaped the devotion of worshippers. The image was later moved to the treasury of Saint Dujam Cathedral and remains an important work from the religious art tradition of this region.
Access to the chapel comes through external stairs that women from Split historically used when seeking blessings before childbirth. Taking time to prepare helps visitors understand how tightly the building is integrated into the palace walls and explore the surrounding architectural spaces.
The bell tower ranks among the earliest such structures in Croatia and incorporates fragments of ancient altarpieces within Gothic windows. This combination of materials shows how earlier artistic works were preserved during later renovations.
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