In the future, the museum function of the Rector’s Palace and of the neighbouring Providur's Palace will be to accommodate the Heritage Museum / Museum of 2 Palaces which will gather all the departments ofthe current National Museum in Zadar in one place.
The Rector’s Palace was opened on May 17, 2011. During the first year of its opening, it hosted several exhibitions, concerts, various book and film projections, performances and the manifestation More (The Sea) was opened.
During the second half of the 20th century until the Homeland War, the Rector’s Palace with its multiple functions, enriched the cultural life of the city.
The main room of the Rector’s Palace is a large hall,which was called City Hall at the time the palace had a vicarious function dueto the fact that the City Council held its sessions here. The central hall ofthe palace has had different functions throughout the centuries.
In 2011, The National Museum Zadar with the help of the Town of Zadar and Zadar Conservation Department launched a campaign for the temporary adaptation of several halls for exhibition purposes.
The Rector’s Palace is a building that suffered from the most destruction during the Homeland War in Zadar. At the end of 1991, and beginning of 1992, it was hit by eight large caliber projectiles, which caused enormous damage and incapacitated the building from any use.
Historical sources documented the Rector’s Palace dating back to the 13th century, and archaeological research works have discovered parts of a building from the Roman and late Ancient period in its foundations.
During the Homeland War, in late 1991 and early 1992, the Rector’s Palace was hit by eight large-caliber projectiles, which causedserious damage and visibly undermined the structural integrity of the building itself.