Croatia, Split, Palace of Diocletian (00:01:58)

Diocletian’s Palace is an ancient palace built for the Roman emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD, which today forms about half the old town of Split. 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. The site chosen was near Salona, the provincial administrative centre of Dalmatia, on the southern side of a short peninsula, On the basis of Roman map data, there was already a Spalatum settlement in that bay, the remains and size of which have not yet been established. The beginning of the construction of Diocletian’s palace has not exactly been established. It is assumed to have begun around 295, after the introduction of the Tetrarchy. 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.