Museum of the City of Trogir is a small museum, but with a big heart. There is so much love in it.
Love for Trogir, its history, art and tradition. Love for people – big and small, famous and unknown, those who left to the Museum of city of Trogir a part of their personal and family history – coopers, blacksmiths, weavers, seamen, historians, writers, painters, sculptors, citizens, noblemen, women and men, masters… – and that way contributed to telling a story about the museum city, a city where not only people, but every street and house, every stone tells its interesting story. In the Museum of city of Trogir everything is done with heart and from the heart, with love and enthusiasm, since 1963 when it was founded. You like exhibitions? You’re at the right place! Museum, beside its permanent exhibitions, offers occasional ones – from its holdings and the ones of visiting associations and artists. You like handicrafts? Join organized workshops throughout the year, especially for the youngest, or visit the traditional Christmas handicraft fair where local creatives are presented! Do you enjoy reading books? There is also a book festival! Are you interested in science? In the Museum of the City of Trogir you can participate in scientific conferences and round tables or listen to various lectures! You enjoy music? You will also enjoy concerts of classic and pop music that take place in the Cate Dujšin Ribar Gallery within the Trogir City Museum! Are you a fan of theater performances? Trogir Museum is a great backdrop for them! Maybe you enjoy the seventh art the most? You should definitely experience movie screenings under the stars that take place occasionally in the museum courtyard! Do you think that life still writes the most beautiful stories worthy of film adaptations? One of them, a love one, can be directed by all those who decide to say „Yes, I do!“ in the Museum of the City of Trogir – yes, weddings in the Museum are especially magical …
Passing through the north city gate, through that warm stone passage on top which stands the protector of Trogir, st. John of Trogir, you will be hugged bay small square Gradska vrata (in the summer time packed with artists, their colors and work!) and in front of you palace Garagnin – Fanfogna will be revealed. This, once a family palace, today is a palace of Trogir culture, art and heritage – Trogir city museum is also a starting station for a true time machine that takes to the adventure through the city of masters since ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century.
Did you know that here you can see the oldest layers of the city – remains of houses dating back to 2nd and 1st century BC and city streets and graves from the 4th century? That proves that Trogir city Museum is the strongest connection with history of Trogir, a true time machine that even has its own guide for time travelers! The guide is a special woman who lived since birth to her death in the palace Garagnin-Fanfogna.
Last time we entered the time machine we used the opportunity to interview and photograph her in her home! We’re bringing you an exclusive interview…
Good afternoon noble Mrs. Fanfogna-Garagnin! We believe that there needn’t be introduction for the locals, however, would you please introduce yourself to our readers…
Hello and welcome to my home! As I understand you are coming with a carriage from Split where you arrived with a steamship from far away England? Give the horses to my hostlers. Lovre! Ivan! Take the horses. Give them food and water. Come in, come in to the courtyard. What is it that you asked? Yes… I am Katarina Fanfogna-Garagnin. As you can see, I kept, as a last descendant of my noble family – family Garagnin – my father’s surname. Unheard of for this time, but nothing else was acceptable for me” I am proud of it, and my dear father was glad! You know, my father – Ivan Luka Garagnin junior is one of the most significant persons in the family, the lightest and most positive Garagnin. I am not saying that just because he was my father, but because he was versatile, a person of humanistic, progressive ideas. He was… a visionary! He died a year after my wedding with Antun, now a mayor of Trogir. I am happy he was there to walk me down the aisle and see me in my greatest happiness. What I loved most about him was his passion for passed time. His huge knowledge. His bold and visionary ideas… His stories… He used to sat me down on his lap and told me stories… Since you come from a place far away, you deserve to hear at least some of those stories and get to know something new about this city” (…)
Truly impressive history, of family and the city! You said we can take a look at the palace, what can you tell us about it?
Of course! The palace of late baroque style features, the one where I live, was built by the builder Ignacije Macanović, a member of a prominent Dubrovnik family, but you must have heard of him. The other part of the palace is connected to this by an arched passage, it is older and has stylistic features from Romanesque to Baroque. We have everything we need here, we don’t even need to leave the palace! Shops, a tavern where we make and store wine (black is our best this year, it hits our heads just like the French ones!), A stable where we put your horses, a chicken coop for these loud beasts … The kitchen is up, high, you can see it from here …
What would you, noble mrs. Katarina, single out in your home, what is your favorite room?
Oh, come, let me show you the first, my favorite floor of the palace! This way, up the stairs to my earthly paradise! You will see now, passing to my favorite room, the tools of our farmers who vividly illustrate the life of the people of the city and the Trogir hinterland, so different from our aristocratic! Just look at this beautifully carved chest, you know there are no closets in the rural housing culture, so the chest has the function of a storage room for clothes. This is not their only function, you could sit on them and even lie down! In trouble they would know how to serve as a ‘bed! Take a look at the iron on the embers, the barber’s tools, the blacksmiths… This loom is especially beautiful, isn’t it? But come, come, let’s move on…
Dear Katarina, we must admit that in this salon with a trifora window, all our attention is occupied by this rooster. What is the rooster doing in the palace?
I am glad you find interest in him, because this is a great opportunity to tell you one of the favorite stories of my father, the one which he told me so many times, on my request, of course! This rooster came to Trogir thanks to Alviz Cippico, commander of Trogir’s galley “La Donna” which participated in the biggest and most famous naval battle in the world! Yes, this impressive rooster is a war trophy, taken from the Turkish boat at the Battle of Lepantoin 1571! It used to grace lobby of palace Ćipiko, situated across from the cathedral of St. John, oh sorry… St. Lawrence. You know, us locals call the cathedral “St. John’s”, for the city protector, although it is dedicated to St. Lawrence.
So, this is your favorite room?
No, no, my favorite room is coming up… But, before it, look at all these beautiful brotherhood legal books, their tunics, there is masterpiece of our Ivan Lucić, father of Croatian historiography! And the first statute of city of Trogir is here! (…) Here we are! My favorite salon! So many amazing objects we have here! Cabinet with our coat of arms, beautiful dishes, portraits of our ancestors of our great friends, family Andreis. There is a small piece of our weapon collection, mace and swords, you know… we are great collectors! Not just of weapons but numismatics also! Look at this beautiful box for numismatics! Oh! There is my painted hand fan! I’ve been looking for it the whole morning!
It is in this glass cabinet that you can see the dishes and weights from the Marchi pharmacy. Did you know that there was a pharmacy in Trogir in 1271? It was the first pharmacy in Europe! The people of Trogir are truly versatile, and so are my family members. There is also my father’s planetarium, you know, one of his interests, apart from archaeology (which you could see in the lapidary!), agriculture, sericulture, beekeeping, is also – astronomy! On the roof of this part of the palace we even have a small observatory. When I get upstairs, I feel like a little girl again, fascinated by the sky and the stars! In this salon there is also a ballot box from the 17th century which was used for secret ballot in the Trogir Grand Council. It was voted with the help of balls that were inserted into the box in such a way that no one (under threat of a large fine!) would know in which part of the box they were left in – the one with the inscription “SI” or “NO” … Ready to go further? Si? No?
No! But only briefly! We would like to eternalise you here in front of this beautiful mirror! Care for a photograph?!
Sure! You will send it to me so I can add it to the photographs of family and my friends immortalized in their crinolines and dresses according to latest French and Italian fashion styles. I keep this in the next room. There is also Trogir’s folk costume, elements of men’s and women’s, you will see, it is lovely… Oh, I am sorry, I will stop talking so you can take a photo of me.
CLICK. CLICK.
Thank you! Lovely! We can go on…
Well, finally we come to the modern times! 19th century! Sit down a bit on this beautiful sofa, would you like a coffee? I would offer you tea but it is perceived more as a medicine in our environment, out of politeness they take a sip or two, but are internally wondering how can people like this medicinal drink! You are probably surprised by this, as proper English! But, it is what it is…
Really? Well, if it is like that, we’ll take black coffee, thank you! I am sorry, I was free to notice two beautiful stone art in the neighboring room…
Gorgeous, aren’t they? Remember I mentioned family Cippico? This mischievous boy, torchbearer and coat of arms carrier, carries their coat of arms. It was created by great artist, sculptor Ivan Duknović who even worked for the court of Hungarian king! On the wall across from it, is another valuable piece of his, relief of Madonna with child.
Truly, pinnacle of art of 15th century! Simple and beautiful. Simply beautiful!
Wait to see what I left for the end of this interesting tour of ours! I am sure you will be impressed! Come with me! Come! Here, come in! This is my family’s famous library! The most famous private library in this region where many great people from all over the country and the world stayed! Here are over 5000 titles from the fields of science, literature, art, agriculture and architecture! We also keep valuable incunabula here, some of the first printed books! The Garagnin Library was founded in the middle of the 18th century by my father’s uncle and namesake, Ivan Luka Garagnin, Bishop of Rab and Archbishop of Split. Great man! My father spoke of him with great respect! Look up! Isn’t the ceiling beautifully painted? The center symbolically depicts history in the form of a woman, and is surrounded by medallions housing Dante, Croatian writers Gundulić, our Lucić and the philosopher Vico. On the second ceiling is a traveling man, a thinker in a central medallion, surrounded by Cicero, Plato, Homer and Horace.
Is it possible what we’re seeing here? You know, this is particularly joyous for us journalists. Is this Kraljski Dalmatin?
Yes, these are first newspapers in Croatian language. We have all issues! Beside books, there are magazines as well. “Corriere della damme” makes me particularly happy! A fashion magazine! You have to come once when we organize gala dinners, string or piano concerts or salon parties! This palace is one of the centres of social life of Trogir’s noble elite! We light up all candles then – in the candle holders and these luxurious chandeliers… They shine like the shiniest fireflies! We open all the doors and dance, we dance, from one room to the next one…
You have a truly beautiful home! We could listen for hours about impressive history of the city, work of your family, family friends and numerous people of Trogir!
Yes, this city truly is as they call it: “City of masters” and a “City museum” and a “City of happy moment” – surely you know why this last name – because Kairos, one of the rare reliefs that shows this Greek god of happy moment, is kept by our nuns in the monastery of St. Nicholas, down by the south city gates. Be sure to visit them as well!
Unfortunately, the unhappy moment of our goodbyes has come, you know, we have a long way to Split! Thank you for your hospitality!
Thank you for visiting, it was a pleasure! Remember me and send me newspapers with the article when it gets published! I am looking forward to see how I look like in the picture you took! You can also send me a fashion magazine from your country… I wouldn’t mind! Go with God, have a nice trip!
Getting in to the carriage, we started our way to Split, and the time machine brought us back to 2022… we found ourselves in the courtyard of the Trogir City Museum! This was a summary of voyage to the past that you can experience by special professional guidance of permanent line-up of Museum of City of Trogir.
Trogir city museum is a starting station for a true time machine that takes to the adventure through the city of masters since ancient times to the beginning of the 20th century.
For information and reservation of times there is web page muzej-grada-trogira.hr, e-mail address muzej.grada.trogira@gmail.com, Facebook page Muzej grada Trogira or Instagram @trogirmuseum.
Trogir City Museum has interesting and visually attractive posts on mentioned user accounts on social media, and you should definitely follow them… May the Museum of the City of Trogir be at the top of your list for visiting the sights of Trogir, a city on the UNESCO World Heritage List! As many locals and other visitors have been doing for almost 60 years – lovers of Trogir, its heritage, history, art and culture in general – come, meet and love 12 museum collections that have more than 3800 museum objects. Some items from the collections, of which only a small part was mentioned by our storytelling hostess Katarina are part of the permanent exhibition of the Trogir City Museum, some will only become in the planned modernized, multimedia and interactive exhibition after the complete renovation of Garagnin-Fanfogna Palace. Each of these objects, one by one, tells its own story, and story by story, a whole collection of stories is built full of rich history, culture and traditions of a beautiful town – a town that you can’t not (get to) love!
From the heart,
Maja Maljković Zelalija and Doris Čavka
