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There are so many reasons to love, even adore the Cetina region! For some it is Our Great Lady festivity in Sinj, while others are enchanted with miraculous Alka, visited by more and more people every summer.
Gourmet’s main reason could be Sinj’s arambašići simmering in a pot with delicious bacon or tasty frog legs grilled in idyllic ambience of mystique and intriguing Trilj; or even hot delicious doughnuts from Vrlika. Those of more adventurous spirit may be drawn to this region by Cetina’s rapids and its amazing blue eye over which you can practice adrenaline stunts to impress those less daring, with for example highline. Whatever it is you like about the Cetina region, we’re sure you have good reason for it, but take our advice and sneak a peek into its museums – treasuries of history and culture. We’re sure you’ll love it even more!
CAN’T DO WITHOUT ALKA. To start this text in solemn and glorious way, it is enough to mention famous Alka, and its museum which you should look for in – Alka courtyard!
Alka courtyard with the Alka museum are located in one of rarely preserved Venetian kvartirs (barracks to accommodate the cavalry) in Dalmatia, so the very location is in its way sensational.
Museum, which gave this incredible knight’s game new presentational form, is an excellent blend of tradition and modern – do not miss to delve into a story of Alka told by the most contemporary equipment, thanks to which you can have a try at the game yourselves, fight with the Ottomans, see digitalizes archive documents and video materials of all winners from 1784 till today!
IN MONUMENT BUILDING PALACINA, which is a part of historical complex nearby Kamičak fort, another edifice worth visiting is located – the Museum of the Cetina region!
Culture enthusiasts will be enchanted with even 12 different museum collections, whose beauty is impossible to describe: archaeological, cultural-historical, ethnographical and natural history collections, as well as arms collection; orders, medals and plaques collection, collection of photographies and photographic equipment, document collection, poster collection, postcard collection.
There is even a collection which presents works of the 20th century Cetina region artists, so it is truly one comprehensive object, make sure not to miss it!
ONE OF THE YOUNGEST CROATIAN MUSEUMS is Trilj Region Museum, located since 1996 in adapted parish church. Main task of this museum is to present cultural heritage of Trilj through archaeological, ethnographical, cultural-historical and numismatic collection.
Visit this museum and see permanent collection ”Tilurij – Roman military camp” and get a closer look of Roman legionary camp Tilurij in Gardun village near Trilj.
If you want to know more about traditional everyday life of Trilj region inhabitants from late 19th and early 20th century, a real treat will be its ethnographic collection!
SIKIRICA GALLERY IN ITS FUNDUS HAS OVER 500 WORKS. Author Stipe Sikirica has always been especially close to Alka. The gallery is located in Alka courtyard. .
It bears the name of academic sculptor who donated his entire work to Sinj town. Sikirica is a sculptor of Sinj, the Cetina region and Alka. His public monuments are centres of town’s public life.
Apart from public sculpture of the horse-rider on Alka’s runway, Sikirica is also an author of a fountain On the Spring and doors of church of Our Miraculous Lady of Sinj.
GALIOTOVIĆ GALLERY IS A CULTURAL CENTRE OF Sinj people and their guests. It was opened in August 1999. Tt bears the name of its donator Iva Galiotović, who donated her life savings for its building. In the gallery there have been over 50 exhibitions so far. Great names of Croatian art had their exhibitions there, same as numerous Sinj artists. Galiotović gallery is also a place for classical music concerts, various workshops ad gatherings. It is located in three-story building on Alka runway.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL COLLECTION OF FRANCISCAN MONASTERY IS ONE OF THE OLDEST AND WORTHIEST IN CROATIA. THE REASON FOR ITS FOUNDING WAS A FACT THAT IN Sinj and its region many archaeological monuments were discovered. Objects in this collection do not come from systematic excavations but are mostly found by chance thanks to hardworking monks and people’s willingness to preserve historical monuments. It is most famous for findings from archaeological site Aequuma near Sinj, today’s village Čitluk.
DO NOT FORGET CULTURAL TREASURES – IN THE OPEN! Although museums are a true delicacy for culture enthusiasts, it would be a shame to visit the Cetina region and not to see other worthy monuments of cultural heritage that are like museums in the open!
Get inspired and look for sculpture Newlyweds, statue of St. Michael, a monument to the Cetina river, Trilj’s Old bridge…or some incredible examples of sacral heritage, like impressive church of St. Spas near the Cetina spring – it is not only one of the most significant pre-Romanesque buildings in Croatia, but the one that takes a special place in European pre-Romanesque period!
Want to find out more? Visit: www.cetinska-krajina.hr
The project “Sinj u sridu” was co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund and the Operational Program Competitiveness and Cohesion.
The content of this article is responsibility of the RERA public institution for the coordination and development of Split-Dalmatia County, and doesn’t reflects the position of the European Union and / or the Managing Authority.
Photo: TB Trilj, TB Sinj, TB Vrlika, Adventure Dalmatia
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