Split

Brief Information

Split did not grow around Diocletian's Palace, but inside it: after the destruction of the city in the 7th century, residents took refuge behind the palace walls, and the Roman residence became an urban shell. That is why the center of Split reads not as an ordinary old quarter, but as a former imperial complex in which walls, squares, temples, and later urban functions were compressed into one place.

The city stands on the Marjan peninsula between Kaštela Bay and the Split Channel, at the foot of the Mosor Mountains. But the main key to it lies in the historic center: the palace of 305 and the surrounding old area are inscribed on the UNESCO list because here the ancient layout did not disappear, but became the framework of a living city.

What to Notice First

It makes sense to compare the palace boundaries with what adjoins them: the southern wall faces the waterfront, the northern one faces Strossmayer Park, the eastern one faces the city market, and the western one faces the People's Square and the old town. This makes it clear that the quadrangular palace functions as a hub of Split, rather than as a separate monument.

Inside, this principle is continued by individual forms. The Cathedral of St. Domnius was Diocletian's mausoleum, so its octagonal volume and tall bell tower connect the funerary Roman center with its Christian transformation. The Peristyle, an open square with marble columns, recalls the ceremonies of the Roman court. The round Vestibule with its dome indicates the path to the emperor's lost private chambers, while the Temple of Jupiter shows another shift in meaning: a Roman temple became a Christian structure.