The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-10-12

Of the history Of the world. But the
name of r-rau will .probab bly, always
be purely meaningless Always Is
a long time. and September 1919
may mark the foreclosure OF that
prophecy.
zone should hasten TO say that
for centuries Trau has been far from
Meaningless to lovers Of natural
beauty. of the mellowjng Influences
II time, and OF the little frequnted
eddies along the main currents OF
tourist travel, Though it might be
difficult for the casual vtsitor TO find
home comforts for a nights soturn
there; connoisseurs have written
rdpturously of its bright golden and
rose-red vineyards which edge the
startling blue of the sea- Of Its ca
thedral porch, a work which, IN
simplicity of conception, combined
with dizziness OF detail and marvel
Gus finish of execution, has never
been surpassed IN rcsnanesque or
Gothic art and its People 'endow-
I'D with susceptibility for every vir-
tue: skilful. industrious very dill
gent in their own affairs. liberal
benign, polite and dispoeed to re-
ligion and ptety.'
The fictions loyalty accepted by
the residents often are more fac
mating than cold fact, One woui1
perfer to believe that the city re
ceiyed ills name from. the Greek
word for watermelon, because of the
rhape of the island on which 1t
restles. rather than credit its deri-
walton from Traghflon, whence
Greek coloniste came about $50 h,
6, or that the cypress bush, grow
jig between two roctt. which shell
tiers statue of it's Patron saint.
Giovanni Orsini, was planted mi
raculously and is noCrtnShed nys-
teriously by the saints apirit- rather
han that it was put there surrepu-
ously by his devotSes. Or that
he lion of St Marx over its an
cient and beautiful Porta Marina
varies from its statuary type In that
the book he holds once lay open
with the customary Peace to St
Mark Inscription ard was snapped
shut when Venice relinautshed the
city. rather than that 1t was placed
there MS it now stands because
gate was erected.
"Trau literally lis little city on
:. little island 1t Is about sixteen
miles west of Spalato, by the road
across the connecting bridge The
town and it's commune have less
,lan 20, 900 Inhabitants. 1t breaths
ne air of nediaevahsm Many OK
i:s streets are too narrow for wheel
cd traffic. and too crooked to make
II easy for pedestrian TO find his
way about. They are vauited fire.
Guently by arches, but there is no
sense of squalor, since nearly every
turn disclcBcs some specimen OF
Sculptured or architectural beauty.
The houses. many of them buf1t 40
well 400 years ago that they have
never been torn down. were placed
with tremendous com pactnesE Tor
military reasons, but relieved with
all possible beauty. because Trnurtn1
Slavs and Latins alike Rad a keen
appreciation of the aesthetic. A
reminder of this middle age culture
IS the house wherein was born the
| father OF Dalmatian history, Gfo-
vanni L,ucio. He was Italian, tn.
famous western door OF the cathe-
dral som etimes described as the
glory Of all Dalmatta.' was the work
CT T. Croatain.
''Trau has been isolated: but also
cosmopolitan. Byzantfnes, Huns
Franks, Genocse and venetians
thought II worth fighting for ans!
Saracens looted it. Hungary cap
tlred it; Napoleon's amy took it In
iS9e, the Austrians gained II seven
years later, and since then 1t has
teen auiescent. until now
King Bella ", OF Hungary, fed
there after the Tarts.rs had over
run his country. and though the
puhSuers, as events proved, could
not take the strongly entrenched
city, he proceeded to the adjoining
island which is still known as Krag
llevac, or the kings abode. because
II that incident.
Before tho world war T>rau hac
an inconsiderabie trade I'm fruit and
wine"