In front of the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments, there is a group of stećci
(medieval tombstones) brought from various locations in inland Dalmatia. This group of
stećci, located in front of the museum, was moved in the second half of the 20th century,
under the order of the Institute for National History in Split, to the former Split cemetery,
Sustipan. The relocation of the stećci from their original positions is now considered
completely inappropriate, as it left centuries-old graves without their markers, and precious
memories were lost and irrevocably destroyed. The transported stećci were first placed in
Sustipan, and then in the courtyard of the aforementioned institute. Among them, one stands
out, originating from the Crljivica site near Cista Velika in the Imotski region. Today, as
mentioned, it is located along with other stećci in front of the Museum of Croatian
Archaeological Monuments. The inscription on it testifies to whom the stećak belonged. It is
the stećak of Jerko Kustražić, a medieval Vlah from these areas. Furthermore, according to
the inscription, the master “kovač” (smith) Jurina, who made it, is also known, whose works
can be found in a wide area of the Dalmatian hinterland and Herzegovina, all the way to
Kupres. The monument, in its original position, formed a whole with another stećak
belonging to Jerko’s wife, Vladna, which remained in Crljivica. Jerko Kustražić’s stećak is
decorated with a depiction of a kolo (circle dance), which is very well preserved because it lay
on that side towards the ground for a long time in Crljivica. The mentioned kolo is clearly
visible, consisting of five smaller figures within a space bordered by a kind of twisted rope,
leading to a sixth person, who is larger compared to them. These five figures are dressed in
long robes and have halos around their heads, holding flowers in their raised hands while
holding each other. Only the object in the hands of the last and penultimate person differs,
which is a cross held by the person separated from the bordered space. The separated person
also differs in that they wear a short, knee-length robe and a pointed cap (šuba) on their head.
In this depiction, the old folk saying “without a cross, there is no path to heaven” is clearly
evident, reflecting the belief in eternal life, where the cross in heaven transforms into a flower.
The climate of Split is transitional between a moderately warm humid climate and a
Mediterranean climate, according to the Köppen classification. This specificity arises from the
fact that only one summer month has less than 40 mm of rainfall, which prevents strict
classification as exclusively humid moderately warm or Mediterranean climate. Summers are
hot and moderately dry, with average high temperatures in July around 30 °C. Winters are
mild and humid, with occasional significant temperature drops due to the bora wind, and
January is the coldest month with average low temperatures around 5 °C. The annual rainfall
exceeds 820 mm, with the most rain in November (average 113 mm) and the least in July
(average 26 mm). Snow is a rare occurrence. Split records more than 2600 sunny hours
annually, with the most sun during the summer months. The bora, a cold and strong northeast
wind, can cause sudden temperature drops in winter. This combination of factors creates a
unique climate in Split, with long, warm summers and mild winters.
