Diocletian’s Palace in Split founded in 295 A.C.

Diocletian’s Palace, founded in 295 A.C. and one of of the main sightseeing of Split city. The Palace is considered to be one of the UNESCO’s world heritage sites.

Altogether there are 7 UNESCO sights located in Croatia.

Diocletian's Palace in Split

The palace was built in 295 A.C, which means it will marked its 1730th birthday in 2025!

Initially, it was established as the place of residence of Emperor Diocletian; however, since the very start, it had to play a crucial role in the defence of the city, too.

Diocletian's Palace in Split. Photo 1

The marble for the construction of the palace was brought from Turkey, while the garneth columns and sphinxes – from Egypt.

Diocletian’s Palace takes the rectangular shape, with four main entrances: the northern, the southern, the western and the eastern. Palace counts 16 towers, too, four out of which are positioned at the corners.

The length of the palace walls is 215 meters along the western and eastern sides, and about 180 meters along its northern and eastern sides. The overall area of the palace is around 3 hectares.

The central inner square of the Diocletian’s Palace – Peristil – is a commonly beloved place for romantic meetings.

Perestil accommodates the Cathedral and the Bell Tower of St. Domnius.

Besides, Perestil is where various events and celebrations usually take place – for example, in the summer season, guests of the city have a chance to witness an actual opera there. In the past, Perestil served as the main entrance to the Emperor Diocletian’s residence.

Diocletian's Palace in Split. Photo 2

Inner territory of the Diocletian’s Palace is separated by the two main streets.

The crossing street connects west and east gates and divides the territory of the palace in two, while the longitudinal street connects north and south gates.

In the northern part of the palace, there are living houses, built in various historical periods; among those houses, it’s possible to find the ones that accommodated the guard of the palace, the servants or the soldiers; meanwhile, the southern part belonged to the Emperor – his residence, the Cathedral and the deep underground tunnels and basements.

Diocletian's Palace in Split. Photo 3

After the Emperor Diocletian’s death, the palace remained in possession of the subsequent emperors until the 480 A.C. Roughly in the same time, a first cross symbol was depicted on the west gates, right above the bas-relief of the goddess of victory, which is commonly considered to be the first sign of Christianty to be spotted on the palace’s territory.

In the inner part of the palace, there is a museum of the Split City.

Diocletian's Palace in Split. Photo 4

All the ancient picturesque streets and squares of the Diocletian’s Palace are filled with numerous cafes, restaurants, markets and shops.

As you walk through the Diocletian’s Palace, you are inevitably charmed by the complex combination of Croatia’s remarcable history and the comfort of modernity, submerged into the world of its cultural heritage.

Diocletian's Palace in Split. Photo 5

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