arger scale beneath it. It was 6.40 a.m., and along
the shore, a little way off, a procession was passing with a tinkling
bell, two banners, and processional crosses, preceding a figure in a
cope of white and gold beneath a canopy. It was Low Sunday (called
Piccola Pasqua in Dalmatia), and the priest was bearing the Host either
to some sick person or to a neighbouring church. Such sights are
frequent in the country places, where religious observances are more
evident than in the towns.

Whichever way Trau is visited from Spalato (given pleasant weather) the
day may be looked forward to as giving a constant succession of
delightful experiences, of which the central point will be the
mediaeval-looking city with its magnificent cathedral and glorious west
door, though the quaintness of the costume of the country people, very
individual and unlike other Morlacchi costumes, will count for
something.

The Castelli were built as defences against Turkish raids. Starting from
Trau the first is Castel Papali; Castelnuovo, Castel Vecchio, Castel
Vitturi, Castel Cambio, and Castel Abbadessa follow, and Castel Sucurac
is the nearest to Spalato and Clissa. These are the Sette Castelli, but
there are several others--Stafileo, Andreis, Cega, Quarco, and Dragazzo.

[Illustration: A QUAINT COSTUME, TRAU]

Castel Papali, or Nehaj, is three-quarters of an hour from Trau, and was
built in 1548 by Lodovico and Giovanni Celio. It was then called Celio
or Lodi. In 1680 it passed to the family of Francesco Papali, the Celi
having failed of heirs male. It now belongs to Count Fanfogna-Garagnin
of Trau.

Castel Stafileo was built in 1500 by Stefano Stafileo, of a family
established in Trau coming from Candia. He separated it from the
mainland, and it was entered by a drawbridge; the ditch is now filled
up. The concession is dated 1484.

Castel Dragazzo, or Dracic, founded by Matteo Dragazzo in 1543, on a
concession from the Venetian senate, was never finished, in consequence
of his death. The material of the walls was used to construct the port
of Castelnuovo. The Dragazzi appear in 1389. They were originally
butchers, but for about three centuries gave the country men of
intellect and valour.

[Illustration: THE QUAY, CASTEL VECCHIO

_To face page 287_]

Castel Quarco "in Bile," of which very little is left, was built in 1588
by Giovanni Quarco with a walled courtyard. The site was granted to
Matteo Dragazzo, who ceded it to Quarco.