Diocletian was liked well enough not to be assassinated which is why he was the first Roman emperor to voluntarily abdicate and retire. He returned to the land of his birth to build a retirement palace on the Adriatic shoreline.

The eastern or Silver Gate.

Looking out the northern or Golden Gate, the main entrance to the Palace.

Looking at the Golden Gate and northern wall. The niches would have held statues of Jupiter and the four members of the Tetrarchy. The fact that there were large window openings on the exterior wall demonstrates that it was a palace rather than a defensive fort.

This is the original inner Northern gate. The Cardo, or wide north-south main thoroughfare would have led to the central court, called the Peristile. The narrow allies and chaotic street plan are due to centuries of construction within the walls.

This large open area is from bomb damage suffered in WWII. The subsequent excavation revealed architectural discoveries from the imperial quarters pictured in the following two photo collages.

I am on a roof terrace looking into the collapsed domed ceiling of the vestibule to the emperor’s private quarters. It is currently undergoing restoration.

The original paved Decumanus leading East to West from the eastern gate to the Peristyle.

The Peristyle lined with pillars “borrowed” from Egypt. Because a Roman emeror was worshipped as a god, he would stand at the balcony and visitors would prostrate themselves in the courtyard.

Numerous 3500-year-old granite Sphinxes and pillars imported from Egypt are the oldest relics of the palace. This is the last surviving mostly-complete Sphinx.

This is the western wall of the Peristyle. Here one sees the “newer” construction around and behind the original Egyptian columns and facade.

On the east side of the Peristyle Diocletian built his own masoleum, an octagonal plan with corinthian columns. Many of these columns are originals from the 3rd century.

Split is a UNESCO World Heritage City.

It is a ‘living museum.” This cafe is on the southern wall of Diocletian’s Palace.

Cafes, restaurants, shops, churches, hotels, banks and homes occupy space within the old palace complex.

Ancient Split is a fun city to explore.

Saint Dominus Cathedral was consecrated in the 7th-century and is considered to be one of the world’s oldest cathedrals due to it being established in a 3rd-century building (masoleum).

The 196′ high bell tower took over 300 years to build beginning in the 13th century and is a mix of several different architectural styles.

The wooden scaffolding in this alley helps these two buildings remain upright.

Old and new in Diocletian’s palace. How novel to stay in a hotel within the palace complex.

Through the centuries the basement was filled with refuse and sewage. It was discovered to be well preserved once it was excavated and is considered to exactly mirror the floor plan of the Imperial apartments above. The day I visited there was a modern art exposition displayed in the space.

Because of the excellent condition of the substructure, Diocletian’s Palace is the world’s most complete Roman palace.

Foody Fact: On tour I learned that capers are flower buds harvested and processed from the Capparis Spinosa plant (also called Flinders Rose) which grows all over the walls of Diocletian’s Palace.

And that completes our tour of Split both inside and outside the walls of Diocletian’s Palace. (The previous post is a tour outside the walls.)

The sun was shining brightly on our last day in Split so we enjoyed one final coffee on the Riva. We would have liked to stay longer.