Statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski)
Statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski) is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Split audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~15 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type monument
- Suggested visit ~15 min
- Split Split guide
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About Statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski)
A colossal Meštrović bronze of a tenth-century bishop who fought for mass in Croatian, toppled under wartime occupation, raised again in 1957, his big toe rubbed gold for luck.
The Statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski) is a monumental bronze by the Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović, one of his largest public works, standing 8.5 metres tall on a plinth just north of the Golden Gate. It honours Gregory of Nin, a tenth-century bishop who championed the Slavonic (Croatian) liturgy and the Glagolitic script against the imposition of Latin, and it is regarded as a symbol of Croatian identity. Made and unveiled in 1929, it originally stood on the Peristyle inside the palace, created to mark the thousandth anniversary of the early church councils of Split.
During the Second World War, under the Italian occupation of Split, the statue was dismantled and removed in 1941 and stored in pieces. It was re-erected in 1957 at its present location just outside the Golden Gate, where it has stood since. Visitors rub the statue's left big toe, which is polished bright, for good luck and a wished-for return to Split; this is a modern tourist custom rather than a historical rite.
Did you know? That gleaming left big toe is not an ancient ritual, the habit of rubbing it for luck and a return to Split is a modern tourist custom, and the polish is simply thousands of hands a day.
How long should you spend at Statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski)?
Plan about ~15 min at Statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski). That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski) worth visiting?
Statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski) is one of the 20 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Split, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
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Hear the story of Statue of Gregory of Nin (Grgur Ninski)
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