Croatian National Theatre in Split
Dalmatia's main theatre, opened in 1893, with resident drama, opera and ballet companies.
The theatre was raised in little more than a year and opened in 1893, at a time when Split's population was under twenty thousand, as a statement of Croatian cultural life in a city where Italian was still the language of the municipal elite. The neo-Renaissance building on Trg Gaje Bulata, designed by Ante Bezic and Emilio Vecchietti, was among the largest playhouses in south-eastern Europe when new. Fire gutted the interior in 1971 and the auditorium was rebuilt, reopening for the theatre's ninetieth anniversary.
It is the central theatrical institution of Dalmatia and keeps three resident ensembles: drama, opera and ballet, supported by an orchestra and chorus. The repertoire mixes Croatian writing and Italian and Slavic opera with international classics and new work. In summer the company also plays outdoors as part of the Split Summer festival, using the Peristyle of Diocletian's Palace and other open-air sites in the old town. A smaller studio stage hosts chamber productions during the regular season.
Highlights
- Neo-Renaissance house of 1893, one of the oldest in the Mediterranean region
- Resident drama, opera and ballet companies with orchestra and chorus
- Auditorium rebuilt after the 1971 fire and reopened in 1983
- Summer performances staged outdoors in Diocletian's Palace
