The Belltower of the Church of Our Lady of Zvonik () is a disused Roman Catholic church in Split, Croatia. Built into a small space (an early guardhouse) within the ancient Iron Gate of Diocletian's western wall. Today little survives of the building, apart from the belltower, one of the oldest in Croatia.
History
The remains of The Church Our Lady of Zvonik, located over a cavity of the west wall above the Porta Aurea of Diocletian's Palace. That space, in the time of Diocletian (285-305), was a narrow corridor that was once used as a guardhouse. The space was converted into the church sometime in the 6th century when the complex saw an influx of refugees from outlying communities. During this expansion of the city, the Iron Gate became an internal link between the old and the new part, although, in the beginning, it was the main entrance to the city. These doors matched in shape with the Porta argentea; however, they are better preserved. The inner courtyard and sections of the octagonal towers on the outside are remarkably well-preserved. Dedicated initially to St. Theodore, similar churches exist/existed over the Golden Gate and the Bronze Gate. The old church, which is probably older than its pre-Romanesque phase, the cross-domed vaults and the pre-Romanesque bell tower, the oldest in the city and one of the oldest in the Adriatic, have been almost entirely preserved. The original statue of the winged goddess Nike was stolen/destroyed in the middle of the lintel, and a Cross was carved in its place, probably in the 7th century.
On 4 March 852 Trpimir issued a charter in Biaći (in loco Byaci dicitur) in the Latin language, confirming Mislav's donations to the Archbishopric in Split. The charter (preserved in a copy from 1568) documents Trpimir named himself "by the mercy of God, Duke of the Croats" () and his realm as the "Realm of the Croats" (Regnum Chroatorum). The term regnum was used by other rulers of that time as a sign of their independence and did not necessarily mean a kingdom. In the 11th century, the interior was divided into three vaulted transepts with a cross vault. An early Romanesque bell tower was erected above the central transept, the oldest preserved tower on the Adriatic coast. From the same period are fragments of an altar partition with an inscription mentioning the city prior to Furmin (Firmina) and his first and second wives, Magi and Bitu, as donors. Furmin is first mentioned at the Synod of Split held in 1088/89 and the Sumpetar Cartulary. Thus, the nobleman who ruled Split during the time of the influential Archbishop Lovro and in the fateful events after the death of King Zvonimir.
During the church's remodelling, a small part of an early Romanesque altarpiece was unearthed and reinstalled as an internal frame of a Gothic window. These artistic decorations and the contents of the inscriptions also found on the architrave and the gable testify that it is an 11th-century inscription. They are probably related to construction or equipment. Prior Firmin is a historical figure mentioned in a document from 1089, from the time of King Stephen II. Trpimirovic and nad-Bishop Lovre, so this information determines the origin of this church. Firmin is possibly cited in the famous Supetar cartulary, created during this time. The fact that his two wives are cited within the text does not denote bigamy, as documentation shows he remarried as a widower. Firmin and his wives also wear aristocratic insignia (dominus and domina), which means that they are members of the class that, after the collapse of Byzantine rule, fought for independent power in coastal cities, as was the case in Zadar and Trogir.
The painted Icon of ‘Our Lady of the Bell Tower’ originates from the church and is today kept in the treasury of the Cathedral of St. Dujam. It is the assumed work of ‘The Master of the Crucifix’ from the Monastery of St. Clare and Our Lady of Žnjan as other works originate from a painter from Split or a school that operated at the end of the 13th century. The fact St. Theodore was the protector saint of the Byzantine army and this was probably during the 6th century and Justinian's reconquest of the region strongly suggests this. The church was thoroughly renovated in the 11th century, when it may have received a new title and a new name, and the painting as mentioned above, later commissioned for that church High external stairs lead to the church, which the women of Split climbed, vowing before giving birth. Above the church, a pre-Romanesque bell tower was erected, similar to the church bell tower of the Church of Saint Martin (demolished in the 19th century).