A palace that became a town
Diocletian's Palace is not a ruin you visit and leave. Built at the turn of the 4th century as a retirement residence for the Roman emperor Diocletian, it was taken over in the 7th century by refugees from nearby Salona, who built their homes inside its walls. Over the following centuries, houses, churches and palaces filled the Roman structure, and today the palace is the heart of Split's old town, home to a couple of thousand residents along with shops, cafés, hotels and restaurants. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1979, together with the historic centre of Split.
The palace was built as a rough rectangle of about 215 by 180 metres, with a wall and a gate on each side. The southern half held the emperor's private apartments facing the sea, and the northern half was used by soldiers and servants.
Start underground: the substructures
The best place to understand the palace is below it. The substructures, or basement halls, were built to raise the emperor's apartments to a level floor above the sloping shore. Over the centuries, residents used them as cellars and rubbish dumps, which filled them up and preserved them. Because they mirror the rooms above, they show the original layout of the imperial apartments more clearly than anything at street level.
Enter from the Riva through the Bronze Gate, the small sea gate in the middle of the southern wall. The central passage, lined with souvenir stalls, is free, while the larger halls on either side require a ticket. Fans of Game of Thrones will recognise them as the setting for Daenerys's dragon scenes.
The Peristyle and the Vestibule
Climb the steps from the substructures and you emerge onto the Peristyle, the colonnaded ceremonial courtyard where the emperor appeared before his subjects. Today it is the palace's main square, with café seating on the old stone steps. Look for the black granite sphinx near the cathedral, one of several Diocletian brought from Egypt.
South of the Peristyle is the Vestibule, a round, domed entrance hall that once led to the imperial apartments. The top of its dome is open to the sky, and its acoustics are excellent: klapa groups, traditional Dalmatian a cappella singers, often perform here.
The cathedral, bell tower and Temple of Jupiter
On the east side of the Peristyle, Diocletian's octagonal mausoleum was converted into the Cathedral of St Domnius in the Middle Ages. Its carved wooden doors and Romanesque choir stalls are among the finest medieval works in Dalmatia. The Romanesque bell tower next to it can be climbed for a view over the rooftops, the harbour and the islands; the stairs are steep and open in places.
West of the Peristyle, a narrow lane leads to the small Temple of Jupiter, later turned into a baptistery, with an exceptionally well-preserved coffered stone ceiling. Tickets for the cathedral, bell tower, temple and treasury are sold individually or as combined passes.
The four gates and the lanes
Each side of the palace had a gate. The Golden Gate, on the north side, was the main land entrance; outside it stands Ivan Meštrović's giant statue of the medieval bishop Gregory of Nin, whose polished toe visitors rub for luck. The Silver Gate on the east leads to the Pazar market, and the Iron Gate on the west leads to People's Square (Pjaca). The Bronze Gate faces the sea.
Between the gates, take time to wander. Lanes such as Papalićeva, where the Split City Museum occupies the Gothic Papalić Palace, and the streets in the northern half of the palace are quieter, with laundry hanging between windows and Roman columns built into medieval walls.
Eating and drinking inside the walls
Restaurants and bars inside the palace range from tourist traps to good konobas. Prices are higher than elsewhere in Split, so check menus before you sit down. Local dishes to look for include black risotto with cuttlefish ink, pašticada (beef braised in wine and spices), grilled fish and octopus salad. A coffee on the Peristyle steps is one of the classic Split experiences.
Tips for your visit
Go early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the busiest hours, when cruise and day-trip groups fill the Peristyle and lanes. The polished limestone is slippery, especially when wet, so wear shoes with grip. Dress modestly to enter the cathedral, with shoulders and knees covered. Remember that people live here: keep noise down in residential lanes at night and respect private doorways.
