Diocletian's Palace

{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}

{{Infobox historic site

| name = Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian

| native_name = Povijesna jezgra grada Splita s Dioklecijanovom palačom

| native_language = hr

| native_name2 = Palatium Diocletiani

| native_language2 = la

| image = 250px

| caption = View of the Peristyle (the central square within the Palace) towards the entrance of Diocletian's quarters

| locmapin = Croatia

| coordinates = {{coord|43|30|30|N|16|26|24|E|display=inline,title}}

| location = Split, Croatia

| area =

| built = 4th century AD

| architect =

| architecture =

| governing_body =

| designation1 = WHS

| designation1_offname =

| designation1_type = Cultural

| designation1_criteria = ii, iii, iv

| designation1_date = 1979 (3rd Session)

| designation1_number = [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/97 97]

| designation1_free1name = Region

| designation1_free1value = Europe

| designation2 = Croatia Cultural

| designation2_offname = Dioklecijanova palača

| designation2_date =

| designation2_number =

| designation3 =

| designation3_offname =

| designation3_date =

| designation3_number =

}}

Diocletian's Palace ({{langx|hr|Dioklecijanova palača}}, {{IPA|hr|diokletsijǎːnova pǎlatʃa|pron}}; {{langx|la|Palatium Diocletiani}}) was built at the end of the third century AD as a residence for the Roman emperor Diocletian, and today forms about half of the old town of Split, Croatia. While it is referred to as a "palace" because of its intended use as the retirement residence of Diocletian, the term can be misleading as the structure is massive and more closely resembles a large fortress: about half of it was for Diocletian's personal use, and the rest housed the military garrison.

The complex was built on a peninsula {{Convert|6|km|mi|spell=in}} southwest from Salona, the former capital of Dalmatia, one of the largest cities of the late empire with 60,000 people and the birthplace of Diocletian. The terrain around Salona slopes gently seaward and is typical karst, consisting of low limestone ridges running east to west with marl in the clefts between them. Today the remains of the palace are part of the historic core of Split, which in 1979 was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

History

Diocletian had ordered the construction of the heavily fortified compound near his hometown of Spalatum in preparation for his retirement on 1 May 305 AD.Fik Meijer (2004) Emperors Don't Die in Bed p. 114 The site chosen was near Salona, the provincial administrative centre of Dalmatia, on the southern side of a short peninsula. Based on Roman map data (known through the medieval parchment copy of the Tabula Peutingeriana), there was already a Spalatum settlement in that bay, the remains and size of which have not yet been established.

Image:Diocletian's Palace (original appearance).jpg

File:Luftbild vom Diokletianpalast in Split, Kroatien (48608754492).jpg

The beginning of construction of Diocletian's palace has not exactly been established. It is assumed to have begun around 295, after the introduction of the Tetrarchy (the rule of four). Yet ten years after that decision, when Diocletian abdicated in 305, the palace seems to have still been unfinished, and there are indications that some works were taking place while the emperor was residing at the Palace. It is unknown under whose architectural ideas the palace was built and who its builders were. The complex was modelled on Roman forts of the 3rd-century era, examples of which can be seen across the limes, such as the bridgehead fort of Castrum Divitia across the Rhine from Cologne.Dixon, Karen R. and Southern, Pat. The Late Roman Army p. 34

However, the engraved Greek names Zotikos and Filotas, as well as many Greek characters, indicate that a number of builders were originally from the eastern part of the empire, i.e. Diocletian brought with him masters from the East. Still, a large part of the workforce was likely of local origin. The basic materials came from close proximity. The white limestone comes from Brač and some of Seget near Trogir; tufa was extracted from nearby riverbeds, and bricks were made in Spalatum and other workshops located nearby.

At Carnuntum, people begged Diocletian to return to the throne in order to resolve the conflicts that had arisen through Constantine's rise to power and Maxentius' usurpation.Barnes, Constantine and Eusebius, 31–32; Lenski, 65; Odahl, 90. Diocletian famously replied:

{{blockquote|If you could show the cabbage that I planted with my own hands to your emperor, he definitely wouldn't dare suggest that I replace the peace and happiness of this place with the storms of a never-satisfied greed.Aurelius Victor, Epitome de Caesaribus 39.6.}}

This was a reference to the Emperor retiring to his palace to grow cabbages.

Diocletian lived on for four more years, spending his days in his palace gardens. He saw his tetrarchic system fail, torn by the selfish ambitions of his successors. He heard of Maximian's third claim to the throne, his forced suicide, and his damnatio memoriae. In his palace, statues and portraits of his former companion emperor were torn down and destroyed. Deep in despair and illness, Diocletian may have committed suicide. He died on 3 December 312.Barnes, Constantine and Eusebius, 41.{{refn|The range of dates proposed for Diocletian's death have stretched from 311 through to 318. Until recently, the date of 3 December 311 has been favoured; however, the absence of Diocletian on Maxentius' "AETERNA MEMORIA" coins would indicate that he was alive through to Maxentius' defeat in October 312. Given that Diocletian had died by the time of Maximian Daia's death in July 313, it has been argued that the correct date of his death was 3 December 312.|group="Note"}}

With the death of Diocletian, the life of the palace did not end, and it remained an imperial possession of the Roman court, providing shelter to the expelled members of the Emperor's family. In 480, Emperor Julius Nepos was murdered by one of his own soldiers, reportedly stabbed to death in his villa near Salona.Wilhelm Ensslin, "Julius Nepos", in Paulys Realencyclopädie der classischen Altertumswissenschaft, Band XVI,2 (1935), S. 1505–1510. Since Diocletian's palace was in the area, it might have been the same building.

File:Sv. Duje cathedral, Split, Croatia.JPG]]

Its second life came when Salona was largely destroyed in the invasions of the Avars and Slavs in the 7th century, though the exact year of the destruction still remains an open debate between archaeologists. Part of the expelled population, now refugees, found shelter inside the palace's strong walls and with them a new, organized city life began.Charles George Herbermann, The Catholic Encyclopedia: An International Work of Reference (1913). See also Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, De administrando imperio; Greek text edited by Gy. Moravcsik; English translation by R. J. H. Jenkins. Rev.ed., Dumbarton Oaks Center for Byzantine Studies, 1967, 1985; and Thomae Archidiaconi (Archdeacon Thomas of Split), Spalatensis Historia Salonitanorum atque Spalatinorum pontificum (History of the Bishops of Salona and Split). Damir Karbić, Mirjana Matijević Sokol, Olga Perić, and James Ross Sweeney, eds. Budapest: CEU Press ( 2006). Since then, the palace has been continuously occupied, with residents making their homes and businesses within the palace basement and directly in its walls.[http://www.croatiatraveller.com/Heritage_Sites/Diocletian'sPalace.htm Diocletian's Palace] Croatia Traveller St Martin's Church is an example of this trend. Today many restaurants and shops, and some homes can still be found within the walls.

In the period of the free medieval commune, between the 12th and 14th centuries, there was a greater architectural development when many medieval houses filled not only Roman buildings but also a large part of the free space of streets and docks. Also completed in this period was the construction of the Romanesque bell tower of the Cathedral of Saint Domnius, which inhabits the building that was originally erected as Jupiter's temple and then used as the Mausoleum of Diocletian.{{Cite web|url=https://www.apollo-magazine.com/how-life-goes-on-in-a-ruined-roman-palace/|title=How life goes on in a ruined Roman palace|date=2016-12-22|website=Apollo Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-21}}

After the Middle Ages, the palace was virtually unknown in the rest of Europe until the Scottish architect Robert Adam had the ruins surveyed. Then, with the aid of French artist and antiquary Charles-Louis Clérisseau and several draughtsmen, Adam published Ruins of the Palace of Emperor Diocletian at Spalatro in Dalmatia (London, 1764).[https://archive.org/details/RuinspalaceEmpe00Adam Text] at Archive.org; [http://library.si.edu/digital-library/book/ruinspalaceempe00adam Text] at the Smithsonian Institution; [http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/DLDecArts/DLDecArts-idx?id=DLDecArts.AdamRuins Text] at University of Wisconsin

Diocletian's palace was an inspiration for Adam's new style of Neoclassical architectureHogan, C. Michael, [http://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=17691 "Diocletian's Palace"], The Megalithic Portal, A. Burnham ed., 6 October 2007. and the publication of measured drawings brought it into the design vocabulary of European architecture for the first time. A few decades later, in 1782, the French painter Louis-François Cassas created drawings of the palace, published by Joseph Lavallée in 1802 in the chronicles of his voyages.Voyage pittoresque et historique de l'Istrie et de la Dalmatie rédigé d'après l'Itinéraire de L. F. Cassas par Joseph Lavallée (Paris, 1802).

Today, the Palace is well preserved with all the most important historical buildings, in the centre of the city of Split, the second-largest city of modern Croatia. Diocletian's Palace far transcends local importance because of its degree of preservation. The Palace is one of the most famous and complete architectural and cultural features on the Croatian Adriatic coast. As the world's most complete remains of a Roman palace, it holds an outstanding place in Mediterranean, European, and world heritage.

Cultural heritage

File:Peristyle of Diocletian's Palace in Split, Robert Adam, 1764 (cropped).jpg. The Peristyle is the central square of the palace, where the main entrance to Diocletian's quarters (pictured) is located.]]

In November 1979, UNESCO, in line with the international convention on cultural and natural heritage, adopted a proposal that the historic city of Split built around the Palace should be included in the register of World Cultural Heritage.{{Cite web|url=http://w3.mrki.info/split/diokl.html|title=Diocletian's Palace|website=W3.mrki.info|access-date=17 February 2022}}

In November 2006, the city council decided to permit over twenty new buildings within the palace (including a shopping and garage complex), although the palace had been declared a World Heritage Site. It is said that this decision was politically motivated and largely due to lobbying by local property developers. Once the public 2007 became aware of the project, they petitioned against the decision and won. No new buildings, shopping centres or underground garages were built.

The World Monuments Fund has been working on a conservation project at the palace, including surveying structural integrity and cleaning and restoring the stone and plasterwork.

The palace was depicted on the reverse of the Croatian 500 kuna banknote, issued in 1993.{{Cite web|url=http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/enovcan.htm?tsfsg=5caabbb4dca58151e125c650d3cdae36|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090506012028/http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/enovcan.htm?tsfsg=5caabbb4dca58151e125c650d3cdae36|url-status=dead|title=Features of Kuna Banknotes|archive-date=6 May 2009|access-date=17 February 2022}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/novcanice/e500k.htm?tsfsg=a649438eb16231e47533d70f5e0ed4c4|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604014206/http://www.hnb.hr/novcan/novcanice/e500k.htm?tsfsg=a649438eb16231e47533d70f5e0ed4c4|url-status=dead|title=500 kuna|archive-date=4 June 2011|access-date=17 February 2022}}

In recent years, conservationists and scholars have increasingly examined Diocletian's Palace in a broader debate over architectural heritage and preservation methods. Preservation efforts have focused on balancing structural restoration with maintaining the palace as an active part of the Split community. Unlike many ancient ruins that have been isolated for preservation, Diocletian’s Palace remains a lived-in space, integrating historical conservation with contemporary urban life.{{Cite journal |last=Stamp |first=Gavin |date=December 2016 |title=The most serviceable ruin in the world |journal=Apollo |pages=26-27}} Key conservation projects include the stabilization of the vaulted basement, preservation of the Peristyle, and adaptive reuse of historic structures for residences and businesses. Rather than removing later additions, preservationists have embraced the palace’s layered history, allowing it to function as both a historic monument and an active part of Split’s urban fabric. Researchers such as Jorge Otero-Pailos have highlighted how conservation practices not only protect the palace’s physical fabric but also influence its cultural perception, reinforcing its significance as a living heritage site.{{Cite journal |last=Otero-Pailos |first=Jorge |date=Summer 2005 |title=Echoing: How to Situate the New |journal=Future Anterior |volume=2 |issue=1 |pages=1-7}} The preservation of this palace is an exploration of how material decay, restoration techniques, and public engagement shape the site's historical authenticity.

Architecture

File:Fig 002 Plan des Palastes nach R. Adam.jpg

The ground plan of the palace is an irregular rectangle measuring east: 214.97 m, north: 174.74 m, south: 181.65 m (adjusting for the terrain), with sixteen towers projecting from the western, northern, and eastern facades on the facades facing the mainland. There are four towers on the corners of the square, giving the palace a characteristic of the legionary forts similar to those on the Danube.Dixon, Karen R. and Southern, Pat. The Late Roman Army p. 143

Two of the six octagonal ground-floor towers were framed by three landing entrances, the six rectangular ground floors of the rectangular floor being between the corner and the octagonal. To date, three corner towers (except the southwestern) have been preserved, and only the remains of octagonal and rectangular ones. Three well-preserved landings have been architecturally fragmented, especially the northern one, which was the main approach from Salona. The south, seaside gate, is small, simple and well-preserved. The facade walls of the palace in their lower parts are massive and simple without openings, and in the upper part, there are large arches that face the land, i.e. on the west, north and east facades. Subterranean portions of the palace feature barrel vaulted stonework.

=Outer walls=

{{Panorama

|image = File:Der Palast Diokletians in Spalato - Niemann - Tafel 19 und 20 - Südmauer - zum Meer, 1906.jpg

|height = 250

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|caption = Southern walls in Split (South part of the palace), recorded by George Niemann in 1906.

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{{Panorama

|image = File:Der Palast Diokletians in Spalato - Niemann - Tafel 02b - Nordmauer um 1907.jpg

|height = 250

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|caption = Northern walls in Split (North part of the palace), recorded by George Niemann in 1907.

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{{Panorama

|image = Der Palast Diokletians in Spalato - Niemann - Tafel 02 - Ostmauer um 1907.jpg

|height = 250

|width =

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|caption = Eastern walls in Split (East part of the palace), recorded by George Niemann in 1907.

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Only the southern facade, which rose directly from or very near to the sea, was unfortified. The elaborate architectural composition of the arcaded gallery on its upper floor differs from the more severe treatment of the three shore facades. A monumental gate in the middle of each wall led to an enclosed courtyard. The southern 'Sea Gate' (the Porta Meridionalis) was simpler in shape and dimensions than the other three, and it is thought that it was originally intended either as the emperor's private access to the sea or as a service entrance for supplies.

=The North Gate=

{{Main|Golden Gate (Diocletian's Palace)}}

The Porta septemtrionalis ("the northern gate") is one of the four principal Roman gates into the Palace. Originally the Main gate from which the Emperor entered the complex, the gate is on the road to the north, towards Salona, the then capital of the Roman province of Dalmatia and Diocletian's birthplace. It is probably the gate the Emperor entered after his abdication from the imperial throne on 1 May 305.{{Cite web|url=https://www.putovnica.net/odredista/hrvatska/split/sto-posjetiti-znamenitosti-u-splitu/zlatna-vrata-u-splitu|title=Zlatna vrata u Splitu|website=Putovnica.net|access-date=17 February 2022}} Today the 7th-century church of St Martin can be found above the gate, and is open to the public.

File:Croatia-01232 - Silver Gate (9548728661).jpg

=The East Gate=

{{Main|Silver Gate (Diocletian's Palace)}}

The Porta Orientalis ("the eastern gate"){{cite web|url=http://www.split.hr/citylights/10/index_hr.html|title=Split.hr | Srebrna vrata|website=split.hr|access-date=2019-06-28|archive-date=19 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119022327/http://www.split.hr/citylights/10/index_hr.html|url-status=dead}} is one of the four principal Roman gates into the Palace. Originally a secondary gate, it faces east towards the Roman town of Epetia, today Stobreč.Šušnjar, Bogdan, Villa of the Diocletian in Split, p. 74th Probably in or around the 6th century, above the gate in the sentry corridor, a small church dedicated to St Apolinar{{cite web|url=https://www.putovnica.net/odredista/hrvatska/split/sto-posjetiti-znamenitosti-u-splitu/srebrna-vrata-u-splitu|title=Srebrna vrata u Splitu | Vodiči na Putovnica.net|website=putovnica.net|access-date=2019-06-28}} was built. This coincided with the complex seeing an influx of refugees from outlying communities, similar churches were over the Golden Gate, the Iron Gate, and the Bronze Gate. The structure of this part of the wall and the door itself were later incorporated in various buildings in the following centuries, such as the Church of Dušica, which was destroyed in the Second World War.

=The West Gate=

{{Main|Iron Gate (Diocletian's Palace)}}

Porta Occidentalis ("the western gate"){{Cite web|url=https://visitsplit.com/en/523/the-iron-gate|title = Split – the Iron Gate|website=Visitisplit.com}} is one of the four principal Roman gates into the Palace. Originally a military gate from which troops entered the complex, the gate is the only one to have remained in continuous use to the present day. During the persecutions under Theodosius I a relief sculpture of Nike, the Roman goddess of Victory (which stood on the lintel) was removed from the gate, later in the 5th century, Christians engraved a Cross in its place.Prijatelj, Kruno, Spomenici Splita i okolice, str. 34. In the 6th century, above the gate a small church dedicated to St. Teodora.{{Cite web |url=https://www.min-kulture.hr/default.aspx?id=6212&IsItSearchRegistar=yes&free=&kat_opcina=&kat_cestica=&klasifikacija=-1&naziv=&smjestaj=&opcina=&zupanija=&vrsta=NEP(P)&unesco=&vrsta_zastite=za%c5%a1ti%c4%87eno+kulturno+dobro&Page=1 |title=Ministarstvo kulture Republike Hrvatske – KULTURNA BAŠTINA – Registar kulturnih dobara |access-date=2 July 2019 |archive-date=3 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603123755/https://www.min-kulture.hr/default.aspx?id=6212&IsItSearchRegistar=yes&free=&kat_opcina=&kat_cestica=&klasifikacija=-1&naziv=&smjestaj=&opcina=&zupanija=&vrsta=NEP(P)&unesco=&vrsta_zastite=za%C5%A1ti%C4%87eno+kulturno+dobro&Page=1 |url-status=dead }} This coincided with the complex seeing an influx of refugees from outlying communities, similar churches were over the Golden Gate, the Silver Gate, and the Bronze Gate.

=The South Gate=

{{Main|Bronze Gate (Diocletian's Palace)}}

File:Dioklecijanova palača, Split - jug.JPG

The Porta Meridionalis or "the southern gate" is the smaller of the four principal Roman gates into the Palace. Originally a sea gate from which the Emperor entered the complex by boat, via basement rooms in the Imperial Palace.

=Inner layout=

The design is derived from both villa and castrum types and this duality is also evident in the arrangement of the interior. The transverse road (decumanus) linking the Eastern gate and Western gate divided the complex into two halves.

=Southern half=

File:SPLIT-Maritime front restitution.jpg

In the southern half there were more luxurious structures than in the northern section; these included public, private and religious buildings, as well as the Emperor's apartments.

==Emperor's apartment==

The Emperor's apartments formed a block along the seafront, with an exterior square and circular floor plan, with a dome. From there, one approached the Emperor's apartment, which stretched 40 m deep along the entire south facade; it is only partly preserved on the upper floor, but its ground-floor, translated substructures that directly bore it are almost completely preserved, so the overall layout and appearance of the upper spaces can be seen given the coincidence of the upper and lower floor plans. On the west side of the upper floor are preserved the remains of a dome hall and two halls with apses, and on the east side are parts of an octagonal dining room (triclinium) with three halls with a cross floor plan. The wall of the Western Cross Hall is preserved at full height. Diocletian's apartment was interconnected by a long room along the southern façade (cryptoporticus){{Cite web|url=https://visitsplit.com/en/525/vestibule|title=Split – Vestibule|website=Visitsplit.com|access-date=17 February 2022}} from which through 42 windows and 3 balconies a view of the sea was opened. Two baths were recently found north of the Emperor's apartment, one adjacent to the west and the other to the eastern halls. Although for many centuries almost completely filled with refuse, most of the substructure is well preserved and indicates the original shape and disposition of the rooms above.

==The Vestibule==

{{Main|Vestibule, Split}}

A rotunda, that was once the first section of the imperial corridor in the Palace that led via the Peristyle to the Imperial apartments{{Cite web|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/croatia/split/attractions/vestibule/a/poi-sig/1544002/358789|title = Vestibule | Split, Croatia Attractions|website=Lonelyplanet.com}} of the Palace.

==The Palace Cellars==

{{Main|Cellars of Diocletian's Palace}}

File:Split D81 3055 (38620797821).jpg

Set below what were the Imperial apartments, the Cellars of Diocletian's Palace are a set of substructures located at the southern end of the Palace,{{Cite web|url=https://www.absolute-croatia.com/split/attractions/diocletian-palace-cellars|title=Diocletian's palace basement, Split|website=Absolute-croatia.com}} that represent one of the best preserved ancient complexes of their kind in the world.{{Cite web|url=https://visitsplit.com/en/529/the-substructures|title=Split – The Substructures|website=Visitsplit.com}}

==Peristyle==

A monumental court, the Peristyle, formed the northern access to the imperial apartments in front of the Vestibule. It also gave access to Diocletian's mausoleum on the east (today the Cathedral of Saint Domnius) and to three temples on the west (two of which are now lost, with the third, originally being the temple of Jupiter, becoming a baptistery). There is also a temple just to the west of the Peristyle called The Temple of Aesculapius, which has a semi-cylindrical roof built of stone blocks, which did not leak until the 1940s when it was covered with a lead roof. The temple was recently restored.

==Northern half==

The northern half of the palace, divided into two parts by the main north–south street (cardo) leading from the Golden Gate (Porta aurea) to the Peristyle, is less well preserved. It is usually supposed that each part was a residential complex housing soldiers, servants, and possibly some other facilities.

==Streets and annex buildings==

Both parts of the palace were apparently surrounded by streets, leading to the perimeter walls through a rectangular buildings (possibly storage magazines).{{dubious|According to floor-plan, it's rather ALONGSIDE.|date=July 2019}}

=Building materials=

File:SPLIT-Sphinx peristyle.jpg at the Peristyle]]

The Palace is built of white local limestone and marble of high quality, most of which was from the Brač marble quarries on the island of Brač, of tuff taken from the nearby river beds, and of brick made in Salonitan and other factories. Some material for decoration was imported: Egyptian granite columns, fine marble for revetments and some capitals produced in workshops in the Proconnesos.

=Egyptian sphinxes=

The Palace was decorated with numerous 3500-year-old granite sphinxes, originating from the site{{dubious|What site? Tomb? Temples?|date=January 2019}} of Egyptian Pharaoh Thutmose III. Only three have survived the centuries. One is still on the Peristyle, the second sits headless in front of Jupiter's temple, and a third is housed in the city museum.

Filming location

Diocletian's Palace was used as a location for filming the fourth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones.{{cite web |url=http://winteriscoming.net/2013/09/day-72-filming-in-diocletians-palace-zrnovnica/ |title=Day 72: Filming in Diocletian's Palace & Žrnovnica |work=WinterIsComing.net |date=27 September 2013 |access-date=26 April 2014 |archive-date=25 March 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140325184516/http://winteriscoming.net/2013/09/day-72-filming-in-diocletians-palace-zrnovnica/ |url-status=dead }} The palace also hosted a task on the 31st season of the CBS reality show The Amazing Race.{{cite web|url=https://www.total-croatia-news.com/lifestyle/36524-split|title=Let's Split: The Amazing Race Discovers Croatia in Season 31 (VIDEO)|work=Total Croatia News|last=Rogulj|first=Daniela|date=13 June 2019|access-date=31 December 2019|archive-date=28 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928100645/https://www.total-croatia-news.com/lifestyle/36524-split|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.mlive.com/news/jackson/2019/06/jacksons-the-amazing-race-youtube-stars-tyler-oakley-korey-kuhl-take-the-lead.html|title=Jackson's 'The Amazing Race' YouTube stars Tyler Oakley, Korey Kuhl take the lead|work=Booth Newspapers|last=McLaren|first=Hunter|date=13 June 2019|access-date=31 December 2019}}

Gallery

= Outside areas within the complex =

File:Historical Complex of Split with the Palace of Diocletian-108818.jpg|Diocletian's Palace.

File:Diocletian's Palace - Peristyle.jpg|Peristyle of the palace.

File:Diocletian's Palace, Split (11908066464).jpg|Diocletian's Palace.

File:Diocletians Palace, Split (11908401546).jpg|Palace house.

File:Diocletian's Palace substructure 3.jpg|Diocletian's Palace substructure garden.

File:Diocletians Palace, Split (11907851513).jpg|The fortifications of the palace.

= Views of the exterior of the complex =

File:View of Diocletian's Palace, Split 01.jpg|South view of the Palace.

File:Split center from the air 1.jpg|Aerial view of the Diocletian Palace in the city of Split (2012).

File:Northern wall of Diocletian's Palace, Split.jpg|North wall of the palace.

File:Porta aurea, northern gate of Diocletian's Palace, Split.jpg|Golden gate, north gate of the palace.

= The Golden Gate =

File:Porta Aurea, Split (20330851833).jpg|Porta Aurea (detail) in 2013.

File:SPLIT-Porta Aurea plan.jpg|Aurea gate, floorplan.

File:J32 370 Diokletianspalast, »Goldenes Tor«.jpg|The golden gate.

File:SPLIT-Porta Aurea remains 1910.jpg|View of The Golden Gate ca. 1910, Photo by E. Hébrard and J. Zeiller, Spalato, le Palais de Dioclétien, Paris, 1912.

= Diagrams and reconstructions =

File:SPLIT-Model from NE.jpg|Model of the Palace in its original state.

File:SPLIT-Farlati restitution.jpg|Reconstruction by Farlatija.

File:SPLIT-City plan 1912.jpg|General plan of Split in 1912.

File:Meister von San Apollinare Nuovo in Ravenna 003.jpg|Representation of the facade of the palace of Theodoric the Great from Ravenna on a mosaic from the Basilica Sant'Apollinare nuovo.

= Temple =

File:SPLIT-Temple restitution 2.jpg|Reconstruction of Jupiter's Temple (now St. John's Church).

File:SPLIT-Temple restitution 1.jpg|Cutaway reconstruction drawing by E. Hébrard, showing the temple's vaulted interior.

File:One of the three surviving Egyptian sphinxes located on the Peristyle of Diocletian's Palace, Split (11907934043).jpg|Granite sphinx of Ramses II. 3,500 years old, it comes from the site of Pharaoh Thutmose III. The other two Sphinxes can be found in the Temple of Jupiter in Diocletian's Palace, and in the Split Museum.

= Mausoleum =

File:SPLIT-Mausoleum 3D view.jpg|3D mausoleum cross-section.

File:SPLIT-Mausoleum plan.jpg|Mausoleum Layout.

File:SPLIT-Mausoleum front restored.jpg|Facade of the mausoleum.

File:SPLIT-Mausoleum capital-2.jpg|Pillar from the mausoleum, collapsed drawing.

File:Split16(js).jpg|Interior view of the dome of the Mausoleum: you can see the brick vault keys.

= Church/Cathedral =

File:Split IMG 8102.jpg|Campanile of Split Cathedral.

File:20130603 Split 085.jpg|Interior image of the Church of St Martin's with a view of the chancel screen (June 2013).

= Cellars and underground complex of the Palace =

Split2006.2.JPG|The Vestibule leading to the cellars of the Palace.

File:Split D81 3066 (26844247179).jpg|Cellars of Diocletian's Palace.

File:Split D81 3065 (24748413408).jpg|Cellars of Diocletian's Palace

File:Diokletian Palace.JPG|The cellars of Diocletian's palace are like a peristyle (above) a place of frequent occurrences.

File:20130603 Split 232.jpg|Part of the underground palace complex.

File:Diocletian's Palace substructure 2.jpg|East wing of the underground complex.

See also

{{Portal|Roman Empire|Byzantine Empire|Croatia}}

Notes

{{Reflist|group=Note}}

References

{{Reflist|refs={{cite journal |last=Nakamura |first=Byron J. |title=When Did Diocletian Die? New Evidence for an Old Problem |journal=Classical Philology |volume=98 |issue=3 |pages=283–289 |date=July 2003 |doi=10.1086/420722 |jstor=420722 |s2cid=161249335 }}}}

Further reading

  • Weitzmann, Kurt, ed., [http://libmma.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p15324coll10/id/156533 Age of spirituality: late antique and early Christian art, third to seventh century], no. 104, 1979, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, {{ISBN|9780870991790}}; full text available online from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries
  • Stamp, Gavin. The Most Serviceable Ruin in the World. Apollo, December 2016.