Aspetti litotecnici e gliptografici della chiesa di S. Giovanni Battista a Traù (Trogir, Croazia)

The Dalmatian city of Traù (Trogir, Croatia) has been known since ancient times for the extraction of stone used in the construction of numerous construction sites in Dalmatia. The Seget quarry, mentioned by Pliny the Elder and located near the city, is still active. The presence of specialized craftsmen, builders and sculptors, active in construction sites that became emblematic, is proven. Numerous craftsmen are mentioned in the records of the "Operaria" of the cathedral, where at least from the fourth decade of the thirteenth century were registered contracts with the workers. The phenomenon is such as to suggest to extend to the entire urban context the preliminary review of construction techniques and simultaneously of litho-technology, in order to help define the technical environment. In particular, the contribution studies the church of St. John the Baptist (Sv. Ivana Krstitelja), a Benedictine monastery. This building represents a fundamental text for the study of litho-technology in this area. In particular, the reading of the face and the architectural components has highlighted the widespread use of an instrument that can be interpreted as a toothed hammer. The use of the toothed hammer and the proven litho-technical performance, with similarities found in the face of the cathedral, take on additional significance being associated with the presence of numerous mason’s marks. Some of the graffiti traced around the perimeter of the building and relevant to the subsequent stages are instead traceable to playful patterns. The study of this context, accompanied by a review of the numerous lapidary signs, suggests reflecting on the chronological phases of the introduction of the toothed hammer in Dalmatian construction sites.