The remains of The Church Our Lady of Zvonik, located over a cavity of the west wall above the
Porta Aurea of
Diocletian's Palace. That space, in the time of
Diocletian (285-305), was a narrow corridor that was once used as a
guardhouse. The space was converted into the church sometime in the 6th century when the complex saw an influx of refugees from outlying communities. During this expansion of the city, the Iron Gate became an internal link between the old and the new part, although, in the beginning, it was the main entrance to the city. These doors matched in shape with the
Porta argentea; however, they are better preserved. The inner courtyard and sections of the octagonal towers on the outside are remarkably well-preserved. Dedicated initially to St. Theodore, similar churches exist/existed over the
Golden Gate and the
Bronze Gate. The old church, which is probably older than its pre-Romanesque phase, the cross-domed vaults and the pre-Romanesque bell tower, the oldest in the city and one of the oldest in the Adriatic, have been almost entirely preserved. The original statue of the winged goddess
Nike was stolen/destroyed in the middle of the lintel, and a Cross was carved in its place, probably in the 7th century. On 4 March 852
Trpimir issued a charter in
Biaći (
in loco Byaci dicitur) in the
Latin language, confirming
Mislav's donations to the
Archbishopric in
Split. The charter (preserved in a copy from 1568) documents Trpimir named himself "by the mercy of God, Duke of the Croats" () and his realm as the "
Realm of the Croats" (
Regnum Chroatorum). The term
regnum was used by other rulers of that time as a sign of their independence and did not necessarily mean a
kingdom. In the 11th century, the interior was divided into three
vaulted transepts with a cross vault. An early
Romanesque bell tower was erected above the central transept, the oldest preserved tower on the
Adriatic coast. From the same period are fragments of an
altar partition with an inscription mentioning the city prior to Furmin (Firmina) and his first and second wives, Magi and Bitu, as donors. Furmin is first mentioned at the
Synod of Split held in 1088/89 and the
Sumpetar Cartulary. Thus, the nobleman who ruled Split during the time of the influential
Archbishop Lovro and in the fateful events after the death of
King Zvonimir. During the church's remodelling, a small part of an early Romanesque altarpiece was unearthed and reinstalled as an internal frame of a
Gothic window. These artistic decorations and the contents of the inscriptions also found on the architrave and the gable testify that it is an 11th-century inscription. They are probably related to construction or equipment. Prior Firmin is a historical figure mentioned in a document from 1089, from the time of
King Stephen II.
Trpimirovic and nad-Bishop Lovre, so this information determines the origin of this church. Firmin is possibly cited in the famous Supetar cartulary, created during this time. The fact that his two wives are cited within the text does not denote bigamy, as documentation shows he remarried as a widower. Firmin and his wives also wear aristocratic insignia (dominus and domina), which means that they are members of the class that, after the collapse of
Byzantine rule, fought for independent power in coastal cities, as was the case in
Zadar and
Trogir. The painted Icon of ‘Our Lady of the Bell Tower’ originates from the church and is today kept in the treasury of the
Cathedral of St. Dujam. It is the assumed work of ‘The Master of the Crucifix’ from
the Monastery of St. Clare and
Our Lady of Žnjan as other works originate from a painter from Split or a school that operated at the end of the 13th century. The fact St. Theodore was the protector saint of the Byzantine army and this was probably during the 6th century and
Justinian's reconquest of the region strongly suggests this. The church was thoroughly renovated in the 11th century, when it may have received a new title and a new name, and the painting as mentioned above, later commissioned for that church High external stairs lead to the church, which the women of Split climbed, vowing before giving birth. The second phase of works has since been completed, which included constructive rehabilitation and restoration work, replacement of the roof timbers of the Bell Tower, preventive interventions on the medieval fresco on the exterior facade of the church and cleaning, reconstruction and presentation of the medieval niche on the north wall of the propugnakula. A total of HRK 800,000.00 was set aside for the works in the second phase. The Ministry of Culture and Media of the Republic of Croatia and the City of Split provide financial resources for the project. Newly found medieval sculptures were installed in a niche on the north wall of the Propugnacula. The goal of the intervention is to improve the condition of the widespread zone of the old city centre with minimal and controlled interventions and, at the same time, revitalize the entire Western Gate complex. Today, it has no religious function. ==Architecture==