January 23, 2021 - City of Split project Diocletian's Chest, designed in cooperation with primary schools and the Association of Tourist Guides to raise awareness among the youngest about Split's cultural heritage and the importance of its preservation, received great recognition from the World Federation of Tourist Guides (WFTGA).

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that the project was recognized just in time for International Education Day, which is celebrated on January 24. The World Federation of Tourist Guides praised this project called "Children - the guardians of our heritage" with the great merit of the Croatian Association of Tourist Guides. It is an excellent example and desirable model to bring children closer to the importance of historical and cultural heritage through education. In addition, this international organization invites other countries to join the project and apply the same education model and presentation of historical heritage in their cities.

Diocletian's Chest has been held since 2012. It is attended by 1,700 students, more than 70 teachers from all primary schools in Split, school coordinators, and a large number of tourist guides. Children have the opportunity to tour the Palace with expert guidance, and in the second part of the project, they participate in a knowledge quiz and an exhibition of student works on the theme of Diocletian's Palace. The project envisages awarding prizes to the most successful schools. In this way, they learn how to respect and present the heritage and preserve the great historical and civilizational heritage of Split for centuries to come.

"The Split model of showing the youngest the significance of our vast and rich heritage has received great international recognition. The echoes of our efforts and efforts to preserve the historical heritage for generations to come through education have been in the focus of a large organization such as the World Federation of Tourist Guides, an associate member of the UN World Tourism Organization, and a member of UNESCO. And all this at a time when tourist guides are fighting for survival as well as the correct interpretation of cultural heritage and history in which, as always, I give them full support," said Split Mayor Andro Krstulović Opara.

The World Federation of Tourist Guides, based in Vienna, is an organization that brings together national associations from 80 countries worldwide and represents over 150 thousand guides.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

January 22, 2021 - A new multipurpose hall in Split will bear the name 'Ivo Tijardović' after the famous Split composer. 

Final preparations are underway for the technical inspection of the new multipurpose hall on Trg Hrvatske bratske zajednice, for which a permit should be issued at the end of February.

Recall that the reconstruction works worth HRK 5.6 million were carried out by the company Tekton gradnja d.o.o. according to the project solution of the company Super ured d.o.o., while the supervision was done by Meritum inženjering d.o.o. The Ministry of Culture set aside HRK 500,000 for the investment, and the City of Split provided other funds.

In 2002, the hall saw rough construction works. In February 2020, 18 years later, work began on bringing it to its purpose - a new cultural center in the city of Split. It will soon hold cinema screenings, theater performances, cultural - music events, conferences, and congresses. The auditorium has 155 seats and two seats for people with disabilities. It is also located where the cult Kino Split operated in the past. 

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that in the outer part of the hall, the courtyard, there is still some of the garden of the former Kino Split, as well as the hall where schoolchildren and high school students listened to their first classical music concerts at the then "Musical Youth", and where renowned musical names were B. Papandopulo, S. Bomabardeli, and V. Lesić.

In that hall and on that stage, Split HNK held performances after the theater building was destroyed in a fire in 1970 - until it was rebuilt in 1979. Kino Split was then one of four in the city, along with "Bačvice", "Tesla," and the Navy Club on the West Coast, which - as a cultural phenomenon - was written about in 1957 by a French journalist who moved to Split, Madeleine Epron Denegri.

She wrote for the Paris weekly "Cinematographie Francaise" about screenings in the garden under the clear summer sky, and that Split had such a cinema before Zagreb. Her article also revealed that the then-popular film "East of Eden" with James Dean was watched by 14,441 Split citizens there!

In addition to the hall's space, the reconstruction also includes ancillary rooms, dressing rooms, sanitary rooms, and other rooms for the needs of stage staff. The hall access is adapted for people with disabilities and people with reduced mobility by installing two ramps on the stairs. This hall will be managed by the cultural institution Hrvatski dom Split - concert hall, which also operates the newly renovated concert hall on Tončićeva Street.

This new stage will soon open its doors to citizens, following the improved epidemiological measures, and thus revive the city's cultural scene. When it is open to the public, it will bear the name of the great Split composer Ivo Tijardović.

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January 19, 2021 - The 2021 Split Marathon will not be held in February like in previous years, but in late September. 

Dalmacija Danas reports that one major sporting event that has gathered several thousand runners in the city of Split in recent years is the Split Marathon. The event is usually held in February, and last year, for example, it was held on February 23.

The second marathon in the newer edition, which the organizers are preparing in this calendar year, has now been moved to autumn, more precisely to September 26, 2021. The starting time will be "at dawn", i.e., at 7:30 am, so the participants can avoid running through unbearable heat. 

The new date was revealed by Kristijan Sindik, the president of the Organizing Committee, on the official Split Marathon Facebook page. 

The Split Marathon is an event presented by the city for some time to position itself as a sports and tourist destination for many international competitors who have the opportunity to run the track and enjoy the beauties of Split and the surrounding areas.

The Split marathon is the third-largest in the region, with only Ljubljana and Belgrade ahead, which is to be expected considering the number of inhabitants. Split, however, is said to be the best organized.

The Split Marathon event saw a record number of participants in 2020, or over 4,000, who ran on the Marathon and Half Marathon routes below. 

The Split Marathon route:

Route: Obala Hrvatskog narodnog preporoda – Marmontova ulica – Ulica kralja Tomislava – Zagrebačka ulica – Manuška poljana – Livanjska – Ulica Domovinskog rata – ulica Zbora narodne garde – Ulica Domovinskog rata – Solinska ulica – Splitska ulica – Krešimirova ulica – Obala pomoraca – Krešimirova ulica – Splitska ulica – Solinska ulica – Hercegovačka ulica – Put Supavla – Lora – Zrinsko Frankopanska – Osmih mediteranskih igara – Stadion Poljud – Osmih mediteranskih igara – ZrInsko Frankopanska – Ulica 7 Kaštela – Matoševa ulica – Šetalište Marina Tartaglie – Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića – Obala kneza Branimira – Trumbićeva obala – Obala Hrvatskog narodnog preporoda – Obala Lazareta – Obala kneza Domagoja – HŽ Bačvice – Plaža Bačvice – Šetalište Petra Preradovića – Put Firula – Spinčićeva ulica – Šetalište Kalafata – Šetalište pape Ivana Pavla II – OKRET – Šetalište pape Ivana Pavla II – Šetalište Kalafata – Spinčićeva ulica – Put Firula – Šetalište Petra Preradovića – Hatzeov perivoj – Ulica Matije Gupca – Prilaz braće Kaliterna – Plaža Bačvice – HŽ Bačvice – Obala kneza Domagoja – Obala Lazareta – Hrvojeva ulica – Ulica kralja Tomislava – Marmontova ulica – Obala Hrvatskog narodnog preporoda – FINISH

The 20th edition of Split Half Marathon ran on an AIMS certified track: 

Route: Obala Hrvatskog narodnog preporoda – Marmontova ulica – Ulica kralja Tomislava – Zagrebačka ulica -Manuška poljana – Livanjska – Ulica Domovinskog rata – ulica Zbora narodne garde – Ulica Domovinskog rata – Stinice ulica – Put Supavla – Lora – Zrinsko Frankopanska – Osmih mediteranskih igara – Stadion Poljud – Osmih mediteranskih igara – Zrinsko Frankopanska – Ulica 7 Kaštela – Matoševa ulica – Šetalište Marina Tartaglie – Šetalište Ivana Meštrovića – Obala kneza Branimira – Trumbićeva obala – Obala Hrvatskog narodnog preporoda – FINISH

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page. 

January 13, 2021 - The City of Split, Owen Wilson, and Salma Hayek are the stars of the new 'Bliss' trailer, released by Amazon Prime on Tuesday.

Amazon Prime will release the new film 'Bliss' on February 5, 2021. The sci-fi drama by director and screenwriter Mike Cahill transported Salma Hayek and Owen Wilson to Split back in July 2019. Wilson was often photographed with locals, which you can read more about HERE.

On Tuesday, the trailer for the film was finally released, and in addition to the two Hollywood stars, Split also takes the spotlight. 

The main characters of the film are the unfulfilled Greg played by Owen Wilson and the mysterious Isabel embodied by the great Salma Hayek. In short, the two believe they live in a parallel, fictional reality, but that their perfect world soon begins to fade and turns into something utterly ugly. They both have to decide where they actually belong and what’s real in all of this, reports Telegram.hr.

The premiere of the film has been announced for February 5, 2021.

To read more about lifestyle in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

January 11, 2021 - What would happen if there was a Petrinja-scenario earthquake in Split? A closer look.

Slobodna Dalmacija writes that because earthquakes cannot be prevented, the implementation of measures to mitigate the consequences and preparedness of the community in the event of their occurrence is essential.

Split is located in the earthquake intensity zone of 7 and 8 degrees according to the MSK scale, which can cause material damage, landslides, cracks, and very likely human casualties.

After the devastating earthquakes in central Croatia, seismologists warn that increased seismic activity of subsequent earthquakes should be expected in the next year. The seismically "calmest" situation is in Istria and eastern Croatia, while Dalmatia is at the top of earthquake zones.

According to experts, the maximum intensity of earthquakes that can hit Dalmatia ranges from 6.3 to 7 on the Richter scale.

So, how will Split protect itself or prepare for a disaster?

After Petrinja, it is clear that it is necessary to build an early warning system and educate and train the operational forces of the Civil Protection system. It is essential that in the basic operational forces of the Civil Protection (CZ) of the city of Split, there are people trained to rescue in ruins, according to international certificates.

"As part of the Public Fire Brigade, a Specialist Rescue Team of 22 people with certificates and a search dog has been formed. Among them is one person with the highest level of training for staff leadership and command in crises and a person trained for the third level of rescue from the rubble. There are five search teams in the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service, consisting of five people with five search dogs. All major fire brigades in the Republic of Croatia have such teams, and in case of need, the fire system is activated through the Civil Protection Headquarters. The teams come to the area affected by the disaster," the city administration responded with specific figures.

General-purpose units and Civil Protection commissioners provide support to the core operational forces. In the event of an earthquake, their task would be to inform the local population and distribute instructions for action, accept vehicles at the gathering place, help with evacuation, accommodation, and care of vulnerable populations, rescue assistance terrain, logistics at reception points, food distribution, and delivery of the most necessary means of subsistence.

During October and November (last year), 83 commissioners and deputy commissioners of the Central Committee and members of general-purpose units were trained at the Regional Civil Protection Training Center in Divulje, and the training included two teaching units, "Civil Protection System" and "Measures and activities in the civil protection system." The training is planned to continue, announced the City. They added that members of the basic operational forces have their necessary equipment, and jackets, masks, gloves, and shovels are provided for the commissioners and deputy commissioners of the Central Committee. Radio stations have been provided to network the Civil Protection coordinators in the city districts and local committees with the Headquarters.

The action plan of the Central Office of the City of Split also contains a list of legal entities in the civil protection system with accommodation capacities and food security (the statically correct one will be used) and a list of locations for tent settlements.

"The mobilization assembly point of the Civil Protection Headquarters is the City Administration building. The reserve mobilization assembly point is the building of the Public Fire Brigade on Hercegovačka Street. In the event of an earthquake, the Headquarters is immediately convened, and each of the components of the Civil Protection system is given its tasks. However, according to the experiences of those who've experienced a devastating earthquake, it is important to enable operational forces from the outside so that the system becomes operational as soon as possible," the City states.

To be as prepared as possible for a devastating natural disaster, in January 2019, the City Council adopted a Major Accident Risk Assessment for the city of Split, which identified threats: earthquakes, floods, open fires, extreme temperatures, epidemics and pandemics, and other traffic accidents.

For each of these risks, a description of the scenario, impact on social values, preventive measures, and response measures is given.

To reduce the damage in an earthquake, the preventive measure is anti-earthquake design and construction of buildings following the relevant technical regulations and Croatian and European standards. That assessment states that dwellings built after 1964 are in principle resistant to earthquakes of intensity up to 7 degrees on the MKS. scale. Due to the years of construction, the city is divided into three zones. The first is the oldest and most endangered, which is the area of the old town, the districts of Grad and Varoš. The second is right next to the city center, includes the neighborhoods Lučac, Manuš, Bačvice, Gripe, Lovret, Meje, Spinut, and Bol, and the third zone is the area of other city districts where most of the facilities were built from 1964 to 1985.

Given the time of construction by zones, there are estimates of the degree of damage to apartments of various categories in an earthquake with an intensity of 8 degrees according to the MSK scale.

In the first zone, the districts of Grad and Varoš, it is estimated that a total of 1708 apartments would be so damaged that they would no longer be possible to live in. In the second zone, 2475 apartments would suffer severe damage and thus become unsafe. In the third zone, it is estimated that 2449 apartments would no longer be habitable after such a devastating earthquake. It is estimated that 635 apartments would be so damaged in all Split local committees that it is no longer possible to live in them.

The highest probability is that an earthquake hits the Split area with an intensity of 5 degrees according to the MSK scale. When looking at the estimates of the risk of major accidents, an earthquake of this magnitude would not have significant consequences for human life and health. The consequences for the economy, social stability, and politics would be small.

However, in an earthquake measuring 8 on the MSK scale, which is extremely unlikely, it is predicted that 179 people would lose their lives, and more than a thousand and a half inhabitants would be injured. Had such an earthquake occurred during the tourist season, the number of injured would have increased by another 650 and the number of dead by 73.

Based on the Risk Assessment of Major Accidents, the City of Split's Civil Protection Action Plan was prepared and adopted by Mayor Andro Krstulović Opara in July 2019.

The mentioned Plan, among other things, contains an elaboration of civil protection measures concerning the type of threats that are relevant for the City of Split, the actions of Civil Protection operational forces in eliminating the consequences of threats from their own risk assessment and providing assistance between different hierarchical levels of the civil protection system in the event of a major disaster and catastrophe.

Therefore, in case of an earthquake, a rescue and clearing organization team was developed, as well as tasks of participants and operational forces of Civil Protection that have the capacity to rescue from the rubble, the organization of protecting critical infrastructure, and cooperation with legal entities to ensure continuity of their activities. Furthermore, they have also developed the organization of firefighting, regulation of traffic, and insurance during interventions, medical assistance and medical care, evacuations, rescue and evacuations of vulnerable groups, implementation of care, the humane remediation and identification of the dead, hygienic and epidemiological protection, provision of food and drinking water, centers for informing the population, accepting human and material assistance, and providing psychological assistance.

For more on the Petrinja earthquake and to see how you can donate money, food, humanitarian, sanitary, and material aid, follow our dedicated section.

September 25, 2020 - The ATP Challenger Split Open is nearly here! Qualifications begin on Saturday, September 26, in Firule, and two days later, on Monday, September 28, the main tournament will start, which will last until Sunday, October 4.

On this occasion, a press conference was held today at the Cornaro Hotel in Split, where the director of the tournament, Ismar Moralic, revealed the latest information regarding the list of registered players, but also the name of the famous guest who will visit the tournament:

"We are honored to announce that a Viktor Troicki is coming, Damir Dzumhur will train in Split over the next few days, and the absolute legend Mr. Pat Cash is coming in the coaching role. He was last in Split in 1985 and is really looking forward to returning. I think this is great news for the first edition of the tournament."

The even better news is that the stands will be open to fans. Admittedly, not at full capacity.

"We have received confirmation from the Croatian Institute of Public Health that the number will be limited to 20 percent of the stand's capacity. We wish it were more, but we are happy that people will still attend the matches. We will organize the tournament according to the strict measures of ATP and HZJZ," said Moralic.

The final list of players will be announced later in the day, and the draw for the main tournament is scheduled for Sunday. Some of the registered tennis players are still playing Roland Garros' qualifiers, so that the list will depend on that.

We are waiting for the negative test results of all tennis players, and only then can we publish the final list. The first player below the line is Tommy Robredo, the former fifth-best player in the world. That speaks enough about the quality of the registered players," says Moralic.

There will be 32 tennis players in the main tournament, 16 in the qualifiers, and 16 teams in the doubles competition. Three invitations for the main tournament were given to local players Borna Gojo and Duje Ajdukovic from Split and Nino Serdarusic from Zagreb. The coach of the Croatian Davis Cup national team, Vedran Martic, who spoke on behalf of the Croatian Tennis Association as a tournament partner, said:

"I am a child of Firule, and I am happy that the tournament is being held since many are in trouble and canceling them, that's what Moscow did. We don't have many tournaments in Croatia at the moment, so this is the right step for us, especially since we mostly only had Futures, which is a higher level. In the main event, all players are between 100th and 200th place in the ATP rankings. There will be good matches, and the audience will enjoy it. Let's hope the weather serves us."

Martic pointed out how much the invitations will help Croatian tennis players.

"Gojo and Serdarusic would otherwise have to play qualifiers for a tournament like this, and Ajdukovic would not. Gojo played the Challenger quarterfinals in Romania this week, Duje won Futures last week, Nino is also playing well."

In addition to the Croatian Tennis Federation, full support for the tournament was given by the "Tennis Club Split 1950" in terms of logistics and workforce. Its president Ivica Kekez believes that this Challenger can and must be the beginning of a much bigger story:

"Next year or in two years, depending on the ambitions of the City of Split and the tournament organizers, we can become an ATP tournament similar to Umag. There is no reason not to. We have the infrastructure that we will further upgrade and make a basic arrangement, we are beautifully positioned, and we have the predisposition to become a small Monte Carlo."

Director Moralic also revealed that tickets for the main tournament would cost 20 kuna. From the quarterfinal matches starting on Friday, October 2, their price will increase slightly until the final, costing 50 kuna.

"I believe that it is accessible to everyone, and it will guarantee quality tennis," added Moralic and thanked everyone who made the tournament possible, which was not an easy task in such corona conditions.

"We only received confirmation on August 1 that the season continues. In just seven weeks, we organized the tournament. Thanks to the City of Split, Split-Dalmatia County, the tourist boards of the City of Split and Split-Dalmatia County, TK Split 1950, the Public Institution Sports Facilities... It is no small thing to organize such a large international tournament in such a short time," concluded Moralic.

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September 22, 2020 - Split Open, part of the ATP Challenger Tour, will be held at the Firule tennis center from September 28 to October 4, 2020. For the first time in history, an international world-class tournament from the ATP system will be held continuously in Split.

When Roland Garros begins, an ATP Challenger Tour will be held in the Firule area of Split from September 28 to October 4, 2020. Thus, tennis returns to Split after 22 years, and one of the most deserving people for that is the tournament director Ismar Moralic, a tennis fan who lives in Zagreb.

"The tournament was supposed to be played in April, but due to the coronavirus, we managed to fight for a new tournament. Qualifications for the main tournament begin on September 26. We are glad that the tournament is of exceptional quality, even though it is played in the week of Roland Garros. The last tennis player to enter the main draw is 180th in the rankings. This is a fact that even some tennis tournaments from the main series of $500,000 cannot boast," said Moralic, and then added:

"The tournament is played under extremely strict measures prescribed by the ATP and the Croatian Institute of Public Health. We will strictly adhere to them. We are happy that the spectators will be in the stands, and we will know how many there will be 48 hours before the start of the tournament. Some of the special features of the tournament are the reduced number of people on the court. During the matches, the line umpires will not be until the semifinals. From the semifinals, only three line umpires will be allowed alongside the chief umpire and a smaller number of children to collect. From the first day when this tournament was proposed, the City of Split, the County, the Split Tourist Board, and the Public Institution Sports Facilities stood behind us."

The importance of this tournament for the city of Split was emphasized by the department head for social activities, Mate Omazic.

"At the first idea when Mr. Moralic called us, we reluctantly accepted it to give a boost to tennis. We know that the club has young talents, and they are trying to restore the splendor of Split tennis. I hope this will contribute to the development of the sport. The plan was late April, early May. It is an ideal term, pre-season, we hope that we will have that term from 2021. We expect good tennis," said Omazic.

County head for education, culture, and sports Tomislav Đonlic pointed out his satisfaction that tennis is returning to Firule.

"Firule gave birth to big names in Croatian and international tennis. Goran, as the greatest we all carry in our hearts, but also those before and after him. I am glad that this initiative has not been abandoned. Congratulations to everyone involved in the organization. We hope for this to become a tradition. The county will be there as a partner in the implementation of this project," said Đonlic.

On behalf of the Sports Facilities Sports Institution, Tomislav Borozan pointed out the good cooperation with the Split Tennis Club 1950.

"From the day when the City of Split fully entrusted us with the maintenance of this tennis center, we have taken our work seriously. One tournament like this is an added wind at our backs. Our cooperation with TK Split 1950 is at an excellent level; we are very satisfied. We were sorry that the tournament was postponed, and these days we will work if necessary in three shifts to get everything ready."

On behalf of the Split Tennis Club 1950, President Ivica Kekez spoke about history.

"This year, we are celebrating 70 years of playing tennis in this area. The founders were tennis enthusiasts and devoted their entire lives to working with children. This has resulted in people like Nikola Pilic. I assure you that our coaches, all of them who work with children, can work in any international center. We now have a tournament that is a stimulus for all children to continue to develop and have strong players in the future, which will be good for Croatian sport."

Source: Dalmatinski Portal

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September 20, 2020 - The city of Split has issued a call to restore the former monumental Bajamonti fountain in the city center near Sv. Frane Church.

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that the monument, which is better known to us as Bajamonti, was not called that in its time, and it got its name because of the diligent efforts of the then-mayor Antonio Bajamonti to erect the fountain. The main restoration project should be completed in 60 days, and the estimated value is around 100,000 kuna.

Before submitting an offer, the bidder should inspect the existing documentation, which is available on request at the Split City Museum by e-mailing Marijan Cipcic, the documentation states. For those who do not know, Cipcic is the president of the Cultural Heritage Friends Association and was appointed by Mayor Andro Krstulovic Opara to lead the project.

"The main project needs to be prepared following the existing documentation. After signing the contract, the investor undertakes to submit to the developer the existing documentation according to which the main project is prepared," it is pointed out on the City's website where it is stated that the conservation study was made by Katja Marasovic, academician Nenad Cambj, and Ivana Prijatelj Pavicic, and the detailed design for the restoration of the monumental fountain was made in 1991 by Jerko Marasovic and Marija Marasovic. The one chosen by the City will receive "original photographs of the monumental fountain from the City Museum".

The deadline for submitting bids is short - only eight days, and the project must be completed within two months.

Split kroz Povijest

It is important to point out that Opara's government also gave up on the tender for the fountain design and the arrangement of Franjo Tudjman Square, which was supposed to be conducted in 2016. What will a replica of this monumental fountain look like in the middle of traffic chaos, surrounded by motorcycles, bicycles, taxis, a bus turnaround, and numerous traffic signs?

As Drazen Pejkovic, urban planning advisor to the then-mayor Baldasar said four years ago, the tender was to solve the sculpture of the fountain and the space, to be applicable for various purposes, including occasional events, such as concerts.

"Within all topics related to the urban-architectural tender, defining the fountain's shape is the backbone of the future solution. The author's proposals for the future fountain's typological solution should be connected and harmonized with the organizational, installation, functional, and traffic elements of the solution, which must be following the overall urban ambiance of the Riva" said Pejkovic.

The monumental fountain was of cultural importance because it marked the arrival of public drinking water in Split. It also had the then urban significance for the view of the coast and the visual connection of the Riva with Prokurative (but not a special artistic value). Bajamonti, which was an allegorical monument, was not without political symbolism.

The then-mayor Antonio Bajamonti, a staunch autonomist, who was already an irredentist at the time, ordered the Monumental Fountain in Milan in 1880, in the last year of his (city) term as mayor, when he lost the support of the majority Croatian people. In the same year, dissatisfied with Vienna's introduction of the Croatian language in Split schools, he sent his private militia, the "bersagliere," to the local people who were celebrating.

The sculpture at the top of the fountain, according to the entry about Bajamonti in the Italian encyclopedia "Treccani," represented Dalmatia, and with its left hand pointed to the Danube, reminiscent of the borders of the Roman Empire, with the importance of the former Salona to take Split.

Some of our experts claim that the hand was pointing towards Bosnia as a direction with which Split should be economically connected. However, it did not point to Zagreb because Bajamonti was against Dalmatia's unification with Croatia and Slavonia.

The fasces held in the hand by a young man on top of an allegorical sculpture was taken over from ancient Rome in the 1870s by Italian nationalists and irredentists, after Italy's unification, to emphasize the need to unite all countries they considered their own. There was a tendency to mitigate this symbolism in our country by interpreting it as a matter of unity of citizens.

In 2016, the tender failed because the conservators voted against the restoration of Bajamonti.

According to the document from 2016,  signed by the head Dr. Radoslav Buzancic, Dr. Sandi Bulimbasic, and Dr. Ambroz Tudor, the conservators decided to arrange the location on the site of the former fountain, in height and width but expressed concern that the restoration for which there is no precise documentation would be kitsch.

In this way, they challenged the conclusion previously made by the City Council to make a monument, "which will largely respect the appearance of the old fountain demolished in 1947".

After it was previously unequivocally established that the original fountain could not be restored, this formulation opens the possibility of all kinds of imitations, even the lowest quality, because even the worst imitation will be closer to the competition propositions than, for example, top work, observed in an authorial way, the conservators noted in their assessment, adding that the restoration is being avoided today because it is not an original monument.

Also, conservationists have called for establishing an expert commission to determine the propositions for the tender to avoid poor results. But, this tender, which was planned in Baldasar's time, was not even started, as soon as it was realized that the restoration would continue.

Mayor Andro Krstulovic Opara has thus connected with the Cultural Heritage Friends Association. Then, some claim, to avoid local experts, they sought the opinion of the Croatian Council for Cultural Heritage for a conservation study.

"The conservation study has been completed and sent for expert opinion to the Croatian Council for Cultural Heritage, an advisory body of the Ministry of Culture for performing professional and other tasks in the field of protection and preservation of cultural heritage. After that, my appointment followed," Marijan Cipcic said last year.

If the study, based on which the developer of the main project is requested, does not have the conservator's consent, the insiders claim that it is illegally skipping the Conservation Institute.

The investor can appeal to the second instance within the Ministry of Culture, a higher instance in the Cultural Heritage Administration, against the decision of the regional conservation institute, but cannot skip the entire conservation institution, so within the UNESCO zone work only based on the Croatian Council for Cultural Heritage.

Slobodna Dalmacija asked Cipcic whether they have the consent of the Croatian Council for Cultural Heritage and the conservators.

"The Croatian Council for Cultural Heritage did not discuss the conservation study for the restoration of the Monumental Fountain. When the preparation of the main project for the renovation of the Monument, for which a call for bids was published on the City's website on September 15, is completed, the entire document will be submitted to the competent authorities for further action," said Cipcic.

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August 31, 2020 - Despite the current Covid-19 situation, entrepreneurs continue to battle and innovate to push through 2020, and for any non-Croatian entrepreneur in Dalmatia, you’ll even get support to do so. Meet TASKFORCOME!

Grad Split, in partnership with Udruga CEDRA Split, has announced the launch of weekly one-stop shops to support any migrant (non-Croatian citizen) entrepreneurs start or develop their business this September.

The one-stop shops will provide free business-related mentoring and consultancy such as business and marketing strategy, financial planning, product development, and market research. The one-stop-shop will also connect budding and current foreign entrepreneurs to other business support providers such as lawyers, marketers, designers, and so on, to form a package of support in those risky early stages of the business.

They will be run by Michael Freer, originally from the United Kingdom, but now lives in Trolokve, Dalmatia where he runs his own social enterprise, ensoco, which offers similar services to social entrepreneurs or impact-driven entrepreneurs in Croatia and the UK.

If you’d like to get involved, then you can either join their Facebook Group or contact Michael Freer directly This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The overall project is called TASKFORCOME which is funded within the 3rd Call of INTERREG CE program within the priority 1 -Cooperating on innovation to make CENTRAL EUROPE more competitive. 

It addresses two of the major challenges of the EU and its member states: the socio-economic integration of immigrants and the potential of social innovation for social and economic development. It aims to increase the engagement and commitment of key actors in social innovation. 

The partners involved are to improve the skills and develop targeted support for migrants and social entrepreneurs, and elaborate policy frameworks and related funding instruments. More information can be found here.

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August 28, 2020 - After the Croatian Football Federation (HNS) expressed interest in bringing the Croatia national team back to Split, City of Split has agreed to discuss hosting the national team of Portugal on November 17 at Poljud. 

Slobodna Dalmacija reports that following the example of last year's model and the sellout match between Croatia and Hungary, HNS is looking to bring the Croatia national team back to Split. 

On Thursday, the mayor of Split, Andro Krstulovic Opara, responded to the urgency sent by the executive director Marijan Kustic on behalf of HNS, asking for an answer by noon on Thursday.

Kustic received an answer:

"The City of Split accepts your initiative to hold a meeting to discuss the possible organization of the Croatia - Portugal match on November 17, 2020, in Split at Poljud Stadium, in the presence of spectators," responded Opara.

Recall, UEFA announced its intention to return spectators to stadiums by September 24, although not at full capacity. Nevertheless, it would be a step towards normalization.

If all goes to plan, Cristiano Ronaldo's national team, which is still the current European champion, will come to Split in the last round of Group 3 as part of the A-League of this UEFA competition. Apart from Croatia and Portugal, Sweden and France are also in that group.

The famous Hajduk stadium would thus host the Croatia national team for the 14th time. However, just like last year, Hajduk should not participate in the organization of the match, as HNS has yet to meet the club's demands. 

Croatia kicks off their Nations League campaign on September 5 in Porto against Portugal.  Three days later, they will play in St. Denis against France. The first home game in this competition will be played on October 11 against Sweden, which should, for now, be played at Maksimir.

Three days later, France should play at the same stadium, and before the potential spectacle at Poljud, Dalic's team will visit Sweden. That match will be played on November 14, three days before Croatia meets Portugal.

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