The Diocletian’s Palace in Split, Croatia is often considered to be one of the most imposing of all ruins of the Roman times. It is not only the city of Split’s main attraction, but also one of the most popular. The ruins of the Diocletian’s Palace (video) are among the most valuable of the surviving structures from Roman times along the Adriatic Coast.
Emperor Diocletian built this palace at the turn of the fourth century CE. After voluntarily abdicating his throne as the leader of the Roman Empire and retiring, Diocletian moved to his palace on the coast in Rome’s Illyrian province on May 1st of the year 305. The Illyrian province is now part of the country of Croatia. The “palace” is an enormous structure that consists of not just the palace only, but other buildings used to house military garrison as well.
The entire complex of the Diocletian’s Palace spans an impressive thirty thousand square meters. These ruins today are located in the heart of Split in the country of Croatia. Approximately three thousand people today live on the territory of the palace. The ruins of this ancient fortress has essentially become the city of Split’s Old Town, and features several restaurants, cafes, shops, and even apartments located within the old buildings of the palace’s narrow streets.
Emperor Diocletian desired to be able to enter the palace by ship, without having to leave the deck. It can be difficult to picture today that the palace’s lower tier was covered by water at one time, as well as the ship used by Diocletian slowly passing by the columns to arrive at the lower vaulted rooms. In case the water rose, the windows of the rooms in the lower tier of Diocletian’s Palace were placed close to the ceiling. Light flowing in from the windows was weak even during daytime. Eventually the sea receded over time, and the city that now exist today emerged surrounding the palace.
Unfortunately, there isn’t much left from the time of Diocletian in Split. Only the remains of gates and walls of the palace remain. The remaining old town of Split is filled with buildings made with white stone from other styles and time periods. Diocletian’s Palace was constructed from white marble and local limestone. The structure is somewhat of an irregular rectangle in form, featuring several towers on the eastern northern, and western facades. There are towers on the southern facade due to it rising from the sea’s waters. The design of Diocletian’s Palace is a combination of castrum and villa architecture.
Today, visitors and locals alike can often hear music coming from Diocletian’s Palace during the daytime. However, the palace can be especially attractive during the evenings. When night begins to fall, the granite and marble columns are often illuminated with colorful garlands. The interior of the palace becomes a stunning scene, and actors can sometimes be seen performing with solemn voices that echo under the ancient fortress’ arches.
Dioklecijanova ul. 1, 21000, Split, Croatia, Phone: 385-98-25-16-10, Map
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