Kastela is a picturesque city of middle Dalmatia in the vicinity of Split, the biggest Croatian city on the Adriatic coast, Trogir, the city protected by UNESCO as a city monument and Solin, known as Salona during the Roman empire, some 2000+ years ago.

Kastela were formed from seven connected villages along the coastline of the Kastela bay. They are, starting from Trogir: Stafilic, Stari, Novi, Luksic, Kambelovac, Gomilica i Sucurac. Kastela are located 10 km of Trogir on the North and Split on the South. They are well connected by roads within Dalmatia, as well as with the continental Croatia.

Kastela are surrounded by two mountains; Kozjak (779m) stretching NorthWest – SoutEast, and Mosor (1339m) on the South. The Kastela bay is a sunk depression between the two mentioned mountains on the North and the peninsula Marjan and island Ciovo on the South. The area between the coast and sea is filled with shallows, clean pebbles beaches, cliffs and small reefs.

The area of Kastela has been inhabited since the old ages. Here lived and hunted the cave men. Stone artifacts have been found, dated at least 50,000 years, in the Mejina cave. From the years that followed, a number of stone ruins have been left behind. Between the 3rd and 2nd century BC, there was a transition from the nomadic into the urban phase of civilization. After Greeks settled on the island Issa (Vis),  they soon formed on the shore settlements Tragurion (Trogir) i Epetion (Stobrec). The area between the two settlements is gradually being cultivated to grow agrarian cultures, like vineyards and olives, which even today dominate in the fields. Spreading of the Roman empire onto the Adriatic coast substantially changed the relations between cities in the area, whereby Salona (Solin) assumed the central role.
One of the major changes were the construction of roads, particularly in the 1st century BC, during the ruling of the local leader Dolabelle. The road Tragurion – Salona passed generally the same corridor as the Road of Dr. Franjo Tudjman, today.

The fields in Kastela were generally partitioned to squares with sides of about 710 meters. On each partition lived one family, which toiled the soil. The workers included not only slaves, but also the local population governed by the leaders. The houses, in addition to being used for the work in fields, were also designed to serve for resting. The owners, generally lived in the cities, but they also brought in to their field houses some elements of urban living. Mosaics, toilets, means for heating and lead plumbing have been found on several locations. On the western part of the Kastela fields, the Roman Czar Claudio (44-54 before Christ) settled his veterans in the place called Sicula (likely to be Bijac, now). That place had their small harbor in Resnik. The period of grat transitions occurred during the major continental movement of tribes in the 4th century, which reaches its peak in the beginning of the 7th century when Salona was defeated and destroyed.

On the devastated area settle Croats, who in Bijac on the foundations antic civilization form their statehood. Then, they accept Christianity and issue the first documents, by which they donate part of their possessions to the Churches.  The upper classes calling themselves: Didici on the slopes of Kozjak form their settlements: Putalj, Lazane, Krusevik, Ostrog, Radun, Spiljan, Zestinj, Bijaci, and others. In their settlements they built little churches, which exist even today and serve as a testimony about the lost villages. Under the Austro Croatian rulers, these areas have suffered due to constant  infighting between Split and Trogir over the dominance of the Kastela fields.

Not long after Venezia concurred Dalmatia (1420), Turks had for 200 years ravaged the areas around Split and Trogir. Turks have also attacked Kastela, but have never managed to overrun it. During that critical time of defending against Turks, Kastela gained the present characteristic appearance. Namely, in order for the population to defend themselves and their possessions, approximately 20 castles were build, around which seven distinctive villages have arisen, which again recently have grown into one city called Kastela.

Source: Filip Tadin