Diocletian’s Palace (Croatian: Dioklecijanova palača) is an ancient palace built in the 4th century A.D. for the Roman emperor Diocletian to serve as his retirement home. It is a big part of the old city core of modern-day Split, Croatia.
It is assumed that the construction of the palace began in 295 A.D., and by the time Diocletian abdicated from the throne in 305 A.D., the palace was almost completed but not entirely. It is a vast fortified complex (about 3 hectares or 7.5 acres in size), built out of locally sourced marble and limestone.
The palace itself is located about six kilometers southwest of Salona, the birthplace of the emperor and the capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia at the time. Diocletian lived in the palace until his death in 312 A.D. In November 1979, the palace and the historic city of Split built around it were included in the UNESCO Register of World Cultural Heritage.
The Gates of Diocletian's Palace
There are four entrances to Diocletian’s Palace: the Golden Gate (the northern gate), which was the main gate used by the emperor and his family; it is the most decorated one of all the gates. The Silver Gate (the eastern gate), which was the secondary gate. The Iron Gate (the western gate) that the troops used to enter the palace. And the Bronze Gate (the southern gate), which was a sea gate used to grant access to the palace by boat.
The Core of of Diocletian's Palace
The gates on the opposite sides of the palace are connected by the main streets, and at the intersection lies the Peristyle. Peristyle is the main court of the palace; the emperor himself used it to give speeches to the people. It’s one of the best-preserved examples of ancient Roman architecture to date. As you look around, you will find a sphinx resting on the Peristyle, brought from Egypt by the emperor; it dates back to the 15th century B.C.
The square gives access to many other landmarks, such as the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, which is a complex of a church that’s built on top of Emperor Diocletian’s mausoleum and a bell tower that was added around 1100 A.D. Diocletian’s mausoleum was built with the palace itself in 305 AD, making it the second-oldest structure used by any Christian cathedral in the world.
From the opposite side of the square, you can access the Treasury Of Split Cathedral, which holds many religious artifacts dating as far back as the 8th century A.D. as well as the Temple of Jupiter, which is dedicated to the Roman god of the sky and thunder, Jupiter.
The Vestibule can also be accessed directly from the Peristyle. It once served as a grand meeting hall for select audiences of high importance and was also the entrance point to the imperial corridors. Right under it are the cellars of Diocletian’s Palace.
Diocletian's Palace substructures
The cellars are a set of substructures within Diocletian’s Palace and are known as one of the best preserved complexes of this kind in the world. The emperor’s chambers were located above the cellars, and they were also used as storage areas for the palace. The chambers were destroyed by the Middle Ages, but since the cellars have the same floor plan, archaeologists were able to use them to draw the chambers as they used to look originally.
At one of the exits out of the cellars, you will find an ancient mosaic dating back to the 5th century and a replica of it that you can even walk over. Another smaller mosaic from the same era can be found behind the cathedral. The palace also features many charming streets and passages and is surrounded by the rest of the old town of Split, built as the city started expanding outside the palace.
Outside the palace
Pjaca Square is the first place that the city started expanding outside of Diocletian’s Palace; you can find it just outside the western wall of the palace as you pass through the Iron Gate. This area of the town was the main stage of events and government in the Middle Ages and has basically merged with the palace ever since, forming the Old Split city core, magnificent as we know it today.
As you exit the palace through the Gold Gate, you will find the statue of Gregory of Nin, an archbishop from the 10th century A.D. The current cultural center of Split, the Riva, runs alongside the southern wall of Diocletian’s palace, and you can access it through the Bronze Gate as you exit the palace from the cellars. It, too, has basically merged with the palace, strengthening the cultural hotspot status of Diocletian’s Palace and its surrounding area.
While visiting Split, the best way to see all the top attractions within Diocletian’s Palace and learn more about them is by doing a walking tour of the palace. They are readily available throughout the year. To get more information about the tour, click here.
