Historical Complex of Split With the Palace of Diocletian
Split and the Palace of Diocletian: The Emperor Who Retired Here and Whose Mausoleum Became a Church Named After Someone He Executed
The Cathedral of Saint Domnius in Split is, by the reckoning of many historians, the oldest continuously used cathedral in the world. What makes this more interesting than it might first appear is that the building began its existence as the mausoleum of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, a man who presided over one of the most severe persecutions of Christians in the empire’s history. Saint Domnius was the first bishop of the nearby city of Salona, executed on Diocletian’s orders around 304 CE. When the refugees from Salona took up residence in the abandoned palace decades later and needed a church, they converted the emperor’s octagonal burial monument into a Christian house of worship, renamed it after one of his victims, and moved his sarcophagus out to make room. The irony was intentional, or at least gleefully noted at the time. Diocletian’s remains have never been found.
In the Peristyle courtyard in front of the cathedral, a sphinx sits on a pedestal. It is approximately 3,500 years old, predating the palace itself by more than a thousand years. Diocletian brought around a dozen Egyptian sphinxes back from Egypt as imperial trophies; this is the best-preserved survivor. It is older than the Roman Empire, older than the city it decorates, and most visitors walk past it without reading the plaque.
The Palace Itself
Diocletian built the palace between 295 and 305 CE as a retirement estate (an unusual decision for an emperor; he is the only Roman emperor known to have voluntarily abdicated) on the Dalmatian coast near his hometown of Salona. The complex measured approximately 215 by 180 metres, and was designed as part imperial villa and part military garrison. After Diocletian’s death, the palace sat empty and semi-ruined until the 7th century, when refugees fleeing the Avars and Slavs who destroyed Salona moved in and essentially began building a city within the walls.
Today, around 3,000 people live inside the palace. Apartments, restaurants, bars, boutique shops, and hotels occupy spaces originally designed as Roman store rooms, temples, and imperial apartments. The boundary between ancient ruin and contemporary city is essentially non-existent, which makes Split unlike any other Roman site in Europe. Walking through the alleyways at night, past laundry lines hung between columns that are 1,700 years old and cat sitting on pedestals carved in ancient stone, is the experience the city offers that no amount of guidebook preparation quite prepares you for.
What to See
The Peristyle
The central courtyard of the palace, surrounded by colonnades, was the formal approach to Diocletian’s imperial apartments. Romans who came here were required to prostrate themselves before the emperor, who presented himself not as a man but as a living representative of Jupiter. The square functions today as the main gathering point of the palace, with a cafe at one end and the cathedral steps at the other. Early morning is the most atmospheric time to be here, before the tour groups arrive.
The Cathedral of Saint Domnius
Diocletian’s octagonal mausoleum, converted to a cathedral in the 7th century. The exterior retains the Roman form; the interior mixes Roman marble and columns with medieval Romanesque carvings and Baroque altars. Entry to the cathedral costs approximately €3; climbing the bell tower (added in the 12th century) costs around €6 and gives views over the palace rooftops and Adriatic.
The Cellars (Podrum)
The underground cellars beneath the imperial apartments are one of the better reasons to pay entry (approximately €5.50). They were storage and service spaces beneath the raised main floor of the palace. Because they were filled with debris and not accessible for centuries, they are better preserved than most of the above-ground structures, and the layout mirrors the rooms of the imperial quarters above them. The vaulted stone spaces are used today as exhibition halls and the occasional evening concert.
Jupiter’s Temple
A small, well-preserved Roman temple in the western half of the palace, converted (like the mausoleum) to a Christian baptistery in the early medieval period. A headless sphinx sits outside. Entry is included with some combined tickets.
The Four Gates
The palace had four gates: Golden (north), Silver (east), Iron (west), Bronze (south). The Golden Gate is the most imposing and the traditional entrance for walking tours. The Silver Gate leads to the Pazar, the outdoor market where Split’s residents have bought their fruit and vegetables for centuries.
Crowd Avoidance
July and August are the peak months and the palace is genuinely crowded during those weeks, particularly in the midday hours. The corridors narrow quickly and the Peristyle fills with tour groups between 10am and noon. The most effective strategy is to arrive at the Golden Gate by 8am, complete the main Peristyle circuit and cathedral visit before the groups arrive, and return in the evening (after 7pm) when the light on the stone is better anyway and the numbers have thinned. The evening Peristyle, with tables set out and local musicians occasionally playing, is a very different experience from the midday crush.
Where to Eat
Konoba Fetivi is the best value-to-quality option in the city. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand designation and is run as a family restaurant with exceptionally fresh seafood and traditional Dalmatian recipes. Located about ten minutes’ walk from the Riva, which means most tourists don’t find it. Expect around €20 to €30 per person with wine.
Konoba Varos in the Varos neighbourhood, a historic quarter west of the palace, is another family-run option with grilled fish and peka (slow-roasted meat and vegetables under a cast-iron bell covered with embers), at similar prices and a more rustic atmosphere.
Within the palace walls, the restaurant scene skews more expensive and tourist-oriented, though Restaurant Bajamonti on the Peristyle offers a terrace with views of the cathedral for those willing to pay for the location.
For a quick and cheap lunch, the Pazar (the outdoor market at the Silver Gate) has local produce, smoked meats, and cheese. The pastry and bread stalls are reliable and inexpensive.
Plavac Mali is the local red wine grape variety of Dalmatia. It is robust, high in alcohol, and pairs well with lamb and oily fish. If you are offered Dingac or Postup (sub-appellations from the Peljesac peninsula nearby), these are the most serious expressions of the grape and are worth trying.
Where to Stay
Hotel Vestibul Palace is the most architecturally extraordinary hotel option in Split, built directly into the vestibule of Diocletian’s imperial quarters within the palace walls. Rates are at the upper end of the Croatian hotel market but the location is genuinely unique. Book well in advance for summer, as the number of rooms is small.
For mid-range options, apartments and boutique guesthouses within the old town and the Varos neighbourhood offer better value than international chain hotels and more direct access to the palace. Prices in the Old Town area run roughly €80 to €150 per night in peak summer; expect them to be meaningfully lower outside July and August.
Practical Notes
Split is served by Split Airport (SPU), approximately 25 kilometres from the city. A taxi to the centre takes 30 to 45 minutes and costs around €30 to €40. Airport bus services run regularly and cost approximately €5 to €7, with a journey time of around 45 minutes. Ferry connections from Split to the islands (Brac, Hvar, Vis) and to Italy (Ancona) depart from the ferry terminal adjacent to the Riva.
High summer (July and especially August) sees the palace at its most crowded and accommodation prices at their highest. May, June, and September offer the same access to the monuments with significantly better conditions for walking, lower prices, and more availability. The Dalmatian coast in May in particular is one of the most pleasant Mediterranean experiences available, with warm weather, uncrowded restaurants, and long evenings.
Dress modestly if entering the cathedral. The cobblestone streets within the palace are uneven and wet stone is slippery. Comfortable, close-toed shoes are advisable over sandals if you plan to walk extensively.