Galerija Meštrović

The Meštrović Gallery is a museum on the slopes of Marjan, the wooded hill that rises on the western edge of Split, devoted to Ivan Meštrović, the best-known Croatian sculptor of the twentieth century. It is housed in a large villa that the artist built for himself in the 1930s, and it is one of the places in Split where you can see a serious artist's work in the setting he designed. Because it lies on the hillside above the sea, a visit combines art with a walk away from the busy old town, and the house, the garden and the views are as much a part of the experience as the sculptures.

Meštrović was born in 1883 in a village in Slavonia and grew up in Dalmatia, where he worked as a shepherd boy and began carving stone before he studied in Vienna. He went on to a career that took him to Paris, Rome, London and the United States, where he taught at American universities and died in 1962. His style combines monumental simplicity with expressive emotion, and many of his works draw on the history and myths of the south Slavs and on religious themes. He gave the villa and its contents to the Croatian people in the 1950s, and it became a museum, with the sculptor's own house giving the collection a personal character.

The building is a large, white stone villa with classical elements, such as a portico and columns, designed by Meštrović himself in the manner of an ancient building, and it surrounds a courtyard and garden. Inside, the rooms contain sculptures in marble, bronze, wood and plaster, along with drawings and other works, which together show his development from early to late periods. In the garden, larger bronzes and stone figures stand among trees and terraces, so that the art and the landscape blend. The scale and the sense of calm make it a restful place, and it is quieter than the more visited sights in the town centre.

A related site, a small fortified house known as Kaštilac, stands on the shore a short distance away and is part of the museum. It contains a chapel with a cycle of wood reliefs on the life of Christ, one of the sculptor's most admired works, and it is worth visiting on the same trip. Opening hours vary with the season, and parts of the gallery may be closed for renovation or for events, so check the official website before you go.

The gallery is reached on foot or by bus from the centre, and it is close to the paths and stairs of Marjan, which offer views over the sea and the islands. Allow one to two hours. The gallery suits art lovers, lovers of sculpture and anyone who wants a calm break from the old town.