The Peristyle of Diocletian’s Palace is the main court of the palace; that was its main purpose when the palace was initially built and, unsuprisingly, still remains to date. The emperor Diocletian himself used it to give speeches to the people gathered there.
Being the hub of the palace, the Peristyle is located at the intersection of the two main roads that span through the palace. These streets were named Cardo (north-south) and Decumanus (east-west).
The numerous feet that have walked over the stones in the square’s paved courtyard have long polished them. Some of the columns surrounding the square are built out of red granite and are very well preserved; in fact, the whole square is one of the best-preserved examples of ancient Roman architecture to date.
Of course, this central position did not just happen accidentally; when Diocletian designed the palace, he imagined the Peristyle as its main square. On the south side, it gives access to the Vestibule, which was the entrance to the emperor’s home itself but also a meeting hall. The palace Cellars are located right beneath, meaning you have direct access to them from the square and through the cellars to the bronze gate of the palace as well.
The east side of the square offered the emperor direct access to his mausoleum (he was buried there eventually, and the cathedral of Saint Domnius was later built on top of it; the bell tower was also added afterwards).
The west side offers direct access to the (present-day) cathedral treasury and the Temple of Jupiter, while the north side leads to the crossroads of the main roads and further down Cardo all the way to the Golden Gate (the main entrance to the palace).
You will also find an Egyptian sphinx resting on the Peristyle; the emperor brought 12 of them in total from Egypt, but only this one is still completely preserved, it dates back to the 15th century B.C.
Given its location within the palace, it’s no wonder the square has kept its importance as a hub of the palace even today. Locals are also making sure you can experience some of the historic vibes even better. As a result, from the end of May until the middle of September, you can find people dressed as Roman soldiers on the Peristyle.
On top of this, the guard shift takes place every day at noon, during which the Emperor himself appears with six soldiers to greet the people that have gathered on the square and gives a speech to the crowd, during which he invites them to join him in his palace. If the palace is “alive,” so is the square.
During the summer season, you can also hear live music performances on the Peristyle every night, all while sitting on the ancient polished stones, having a drink in the Lvxor cafe, and admiring the amazing Roman architecture around you.