Are you ready for the Sv. Duje celebrations this year?
Split Mayor Andro Krstulović Opara, accompanied by the director of the Split Tourist Board, Alijana Vukšić, and the General Vicar of the Split-Makarska Archbishop Don Miroslav Vidović, announced this year's celebration of Sveti Duje, Split’s Patron Saint, reports Dalmacija Danas on April 25, 2018.
To give Split the celebration it deserves, in cooperation with all city companies and services, 73 events have been organized. The Mayor stressed that the specialty of this year's celebration is the session of the Croatian Government on May 4th which will make critical decisions and conclusions that will determine not only the development of Split, but all of Dalmatia.
“Sudamja (Sv. Duje) is not only a festival of the Split people, the Split-Makarska Archdiocese and the surrounding towns, but numerous guests are also coming to our city at this time, meaning we will have a series of events with an international character. We want to shift the full season to this period, and Sudamja marks Split as a city of temperament, heritage and tradition," said the Mayor. Opara used the 18th edition of the Oxford - Cambridge - Split Regatta as an example. He also added that this year, Split would return to some of the traditional customs of Sudamja and highlight dishes featuring lamb and peas.
The Sudamja and Split City Day events will last until the Day of Marjan on May 13th. Mayor Krstulović Opara announced that there would be a bicycle race that will commence at the church of St. Frane on May 12, and finish on Žnjan because, as he says, Žnjan beach is the new postcard of Split, leaving no one disappointed. Opara once again announced the Simple Minds concert to be held on May 5th, pointing out that the plan is to attract the attention of the British tourist market, which has so far brought us a considerable number of tourists and a growth in urban tourism.
“I would like to thank the Mayor for his work, will, and energy to announce this celebration at to the highest level, and for the echoes of the procession and the City Day to be heard louder and louder. I would also like to thank the Tourist Board, which will carry out many programs, but also to all those who have made an effort to make the past celebrations as beautiful and respectable as possible through their knowledge, experience, programs, and ideas,” Don Vidovic said.
He added that the celebration begins inside the cathedral on April 28th, and that every night there will be a holy mass and unique cultural program, concert or lecture. The program will end on the eve of Sv. Duje, and the central mass celebration, along with this year's procession, will be led by the new bishop of Šibenik, Tomislav Rogić.
Alijana Vukšić from the Split Tourist Board said that the specialty of this year's celebration was to cover the many vital locations in Split and to include all city companies in the program. Vukšić revealed that the Tourist Board hired foreign journalists and bloggers to spend their time in Split during the celebration to convey a beautiful picture of the Dalmatian capital to the world.
“Our intent is to see how they celebrate our patron saint first hand, which is important for Split's citizens to see why Split is the champion of tourism, because our way of life, relaxation, the Mediterranean spirit, good food and extremely rich customs contributed to placing us at the very top of theworld's tourist map,” Vukšić said.
Vukškić also revealed that on the 7th of May, the city would enjoy a concert by Jole, Guiliano, Tedi Spalato, Zorica Kondža, Mjesni odbor, Diktatori, Đorđe Peruzović and many others.
You can find a detailed holiday program for Sv. Duje on the Split Tourist Board website.
