Diocletian‘s Palace
THE HISTORICAL
DEVELOPMENT OF SPLIT
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
The origin of Split is the Diocletian Palace itself, which has been adapted
both as a residential quarter to accommodate local citizens throughout the
centuries, and for some other civil functions. The first civil residents of the
Palace were the inhabitants of Salona who had fled from Salona in the
early 7th century, threatened by the invasion of the Slavs. Some of them
found shelter in the imperial palace and some of them sailed to the nearby
islands. The edifices of the Palace have been constantly transformed to
the new functions : the Emperor's Mausoleum has become the Cathedral,
and the Peristyle, the central part of the Palace, has become the main
public square, the center of various civil, religious, public and
administrative activities. The new city has been formed in a unique
historical and architectural setting. During 10th century, the city of Split
began to spill out beyond the Palace walls. First to the west, and then
even farther out from the Palace. Accordingly, during 12th and 13th
century, the new urban area was twice as large as its original nucleus.
THE HISTORICAL
DEVELOPMENT OF SPLIT
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
The churches have been erected by the country roads leading to the
landowners properties or to the villages around the city, representing
specific spiritual as well as spatial landmarks in the environment. There
are not only archeological remains left today, but also written records,
dating from the later centuries. Some routes, even today, follow the
original Roman territorial division from 1th century B.C., and have been
maintained as important spatial elements throughout the centuries. In 14th
century the west suburb was bordered by the new walls, having protected
the city from the Turkish invasion in 16th and 17th century. The new
defensive system was built around the city, pursuant to the military
strategy of that period. The mansion houses of the wealthy citizens were
erected in Romanesque and Gothic style in the new urban zone. At that
time some of the churches and convents were incorporated in the new
zone (St. Mary, St. Spirit). During the time of the Venetian-Turkish wars, in
16th and 17th century, the city of Split was encircled by modern starshaped bastions, for the purpose of defending the city. During the period
of French administration in Dalmatia (early 19th century), certain parts of
the bastions were pulled down, so the city could spread out of its
boundaries towards the new free territory, in the fields surrounding the city.
THE GOLDEN GATE
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
The stages showing how the area along the northern façade of the Palace
was being developed from 4th to 19th century (made by J.Marasovic)
The northern gate of the Palace (called the Golden Gate) had been
conceived as the main entrance to the Palace and so it had been
elaborately decorated with statues of the Emperor Diocletian and his coregent Maximilian, in the upper row of the niches, and with sculpture of an
eagle a symbol of Jupiter, between the two.There were the statues of their
two successors to the throne - caesars Galerius and Constantine - in the
lower row of the niches. This conclusion can be made on account of the
imperial iconography pattern, effective at the time of tetrarchy (rule by four
persons). On the top of the wall, there have been four pedestals preserved
until the present day (while there were five of them on the drawings from
THE GOLDEN GATE
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
the 18th century), that could have been used as a supporting base for
statues, but it is unlikely to believe that the imperial figures would have
been repeated twice on the same façade. So far there has not been a
veritable explanation given for this double usage. Above the Golden
Gate, there was an Early - Croatian Church of St. Martin built in the outer
walls used by the sentry, probably in 6th century. This can be concluded
by the patron saints, to whom the other gates of the imperial Palace had
been dedicated : St. Theodore (The Western Gate), St. Apollinaire (The
Eastern Gate) and St. Julian (The Southern Gate). St. Martin was a
patron saint of soldiers, like St. Theodore, and was worshipped in the
Roman times, particularly in the West, during the rule of the Emperor
Justinian (527-565). The small church in the corridor has been altered
several times. The present appearance is a replica of the early Croatian
church from 6th century, with an altar partition in pre-Romanesque style
added in 11th century, which has been preserved at its original site until
the present day. This peculiarity ranks the small church of St. Martin
among the best preserved sacral monuments of the ancient world. Today,
this small church is an integral part of the Benedictine nunnery.
THE TEMPLE OF JUPITER
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
There were three temples in Diocletian's Palace, located in its western
section, opposite of the Emperor's Mausoleum. The main temple is
characterized by the original pantheistic Roman religious conception
illustrated by the figures of the following gods and goddesses Jupiter (the
chief Roman deity), Hercules (the son of Jupiter), Sol (the god of Sun),
Nike ( the winged goddess of victory), as well as the figures of
masquerons, giants and fantastic animals carved on the lintels and on the
door - posts of the main entrance. This temple is among the best
preserved Roman temples in the world, and it is particularly valuable
because of the well-preserved vaulted ceiling.
In the Middle Ages, this temple was transformed into the baptistery of St.
John, while the crypt under it was converted into the church of St.
THE TEMPLE OF JUPITER
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
Thomas. In 11th and early 12th century, a bell-tower was erected above the
temple, similar to the one that can be found on the Church of Our Ladof
Bell-tower above the western gate of the Palace (Iron Gate) even today.
There were two other temples opposite this one, both having a circular
ground-plan. The former one dedicated to the goddess Cybele, and the
latter one to the goddess Venus. This can be concluded from the report
written by the chancellor Antonius Proculianus in 1567, in which he
described what he had found or seen and heard from the local inhabitants
of that period. The foundations of these temples were unearthed during the
sixties while the excavations were being carried out in order to rehabilitate
the buildings constructed above them in the later periods.
DIOCLETIAN'S PALACE
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
Diocletian's Palace is among the best preserved monuments of the
Roman building heritage in the world. Owing to the research done during
20th century by an Austrian G. Niemann and by a French E. Herbrard,
based on the previous research done by an Englishman R. Adam in 18th
century, the original layout of the Palace has been disclosed. More
systematic research and study of the Palace have been conducted since
1950s.
DIOCLETIAN'S PALACE
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
The imperial palace has been constructed as an appropriate interpolation of
various contents of a luxurious villa - the Emperor's summer residence into
the scheme of a Roman military camp (castrum), divided into four quarters by
two main streets. There were Emperor's quarters situated in the southern
section of the Palace, and it was the place where all official and religious
ceremonies took place, while, on the other hand, the lodgings of the
servants, Emperor's guard and soldiers were situated in the northern section,
where the warehouses and the workshops were also located. The Palace is
a rectangular building (some 215m by 180 m) , with four big towers at its
corners, with four gates on each side and four small towers on its walls.
There are no openings on the lower parts of the walls, while, on the upper
parts there is a monumental porch on the south side, and there are arcades
on the other three sides. During the following centuries, the residents of the
Palace and the citizens of the city have adapted this space for their needs,
and so both the buildings within the Palace and the external walls with towers
have greatly changed their original appearance. The extensions added along
the eastern and the northern wall of the Palace during the following
centuries, were demolished after the World War 2, so the original
appearance of the Palace was revealed.
THE CATHEDRAL
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
Both the civil and the religious heritage of the ancient Salona have been
particularly important for the historical development of Split since the very
beginning. The refugees from the conquered and devastated Salona fled from
their native town to take shelter behind the mighty walls of the imperial
Palace, where the organization of urban life started to develop since the 7th
century.
THE CATHEDRAL
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
They had worshipped their martyr saints at Salona, so they transferred their
relics to the new site, upon their arrival. One of those martyrs, St. Domnio,
was chosen to be the patron saint of the city of Split. The cult of the Virgin
Mary, once worshipped at Salona, has been followed here, in a new place of
residence, therefore, the local cathedral, previously Diocletian's Mausoleum,
The Basement
was consecrated to Virgin Mary very early, probably in 7th century. In the
early Middle Ages, the organization and the management of each city, and
The Temple of Jupiter
its autonomy were mainly based on religious heritage. The Church of Split,
owing to the religious heritage of the Salona diocese and its rights, was
The Cathedral
promoted into an Archdiocese during the synods that took place in Split in
925 and 928
THE CATHEDRAL
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
A.D. The Archbishop was John, a son of Tordakat (Tvrtko?), born, brought
up and educated in Split, whose sarcophagus with carved inscription is still
Lazarettos
preserved. The portal of St. Domnio's cathedral is decorated by the wooden
doors, carved by Andrija Buvina in 1215. Inside the Cathedral there are the
The Basement
Romanesque pulpit, a valuable late Gothic sculpture by A.Aleši and an
Early-Renaissance sculpture by George the Dalmatian, as well as many
The Temple of Jupiter
other valuable Baroque paintings. Close to the Cathedral there is the
Cathedral Treasury where many relics, religious books, liturgical garments
The Cathedral
and other objects have been displayed.
SILVER GATE
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
The Eastern Gate of Diocletian's Palace (so called Silver Gate) was
dedicated to St. Apollinaire, a saint worshipped all over the Mediterranean
world during the Early Christian period. The same as there had already
been done above the northern and the western gate of Diocletian's Palace,
the sentry corridor above this gate was also transformed into the church,
probably in 6th century, so that the patron saint could protect the entrance
to the city by his supernatural power. The wall structure and the gate itself
were incorporated in the structure of other edifices in the course of the
following centuries. Such is an example of the Church of Saints-innocents
("Dusice") which was demolished during the W.W.2. The stages showing
how the area along the eastern façade of the Palace was being developed
from 4th to 19th century (made by J.Marasovic)
The Silver Gate was reopened in the early 1950s, after it had been
SILVER GATE
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
unearthed to its original level, and restored to its original appearance.
Many additional structures from the previous centuries, which had been
The Golden Gate
juxtaposed to the eastern wall of the Palace, were removed on that
occasion. Close to the Silver Gate, there was another small gate opened
The Silver Gate
in the late Middle Ages, so called Venetian Gate. This small gate was
used as the entrance to the city during the period when the Silver Gate
Lazarettos
was walled and covered by additional structures. Opposite the Silver
Gate, along the main city market place, there is the old Dominican
The Basement
church and monastery, dating from the first half of 17th century, which
were constructed on the site of the previous ancient structures. At the
The Temple of Jupiter
turn of 19th century, the church was enlarged. Its actual appearance was
contrived in the early thirties. To the east of the Silver Gate, there is the
The Cathedral
city quarter Lucac, which used to be in the outskirts of the city, but it is
wholly integrated with the city core nowadays.
LAZARETTOS
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
In the late 16th century, when the political, military and economic relations
between Venice and Turkish Empire were relatively tranquil, Split became
an important center of transitional trade with oriental hinterland. In 1581,
on the initiative of a renowned Spanish Jew merchant Daniel Rodrigo, and
having been authorised by the government of the Venetian Republic, the
construction of the first lazaretto was started, close to the southeastern
tower of Diocletian's Palace. It was a complex of buildings containing
warehouses for different merchandise, customs office, bank, and the
quarantine where people and the merchandise that arrived to Split from
various destinations where kept in isolation .
LAZARETTOS
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
t that time, city harbour had already had a well- constructed pier that could
moor a considerable number of in-coming ships. The most important factor
Lazarettos
of economic development of Split had been intensive trade with the Orient.
Therefore, in the very beginning of 17th century, owing to the further
The Basement
expansion and the efficiency of trade business, the lazaretto complex was
enlarged and extended on two occassions, and, thus, the Split Lazaretto
The Temple of Jupiter
became the largest one on the Mediterranean coast. However, due to the
War of Candia (1645 - 1649), the lively trade was stopped. Then the
The Cathedral
Morean War (1684 - 1699) soon followed and, consequently, trade
business in Split returned to rather modest economic range.
THE BASEMENT HALLS
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
The ground - floor halls and the corridors of Diocletian's Palace (more
commonly called the Basement), which can be reached either by a gate
leading from the water-front or by the steps leading from Peristyle, the
central square of the Palace, were originally the supporting substructure of
the Emperor's residential quarters, and, consequently, they reflect the layout
of the upper floor. In fact, the layout of the basement halls is an identical
projection of the upper-floor halls. The basement substructure enabled the
elevation of the Emperor's Palace above the sea level, so the big porch of
the southern façade could be adequately exposed to the sun and summer
breeze. The whole space of the substructure has not been changed
throughout the past centuries; only few interventions have been virtually
made there, e.g some partition walls were either erected or pulled down.
THE BASEMENT HALLS
Historical Development
Diocletian‘s Palace
The Golden Gate
The Silver Gate
Lazarettos
The Basement
The Temple of Jupiter
The Cathedral
The basement halls were used for various practical purposes, so the
press, probably used either for grapes or olives, dating back to the
early Middle Ages, has been preserved until the present day. Since the
city was developing above the substructure level , the basement halls
were gradually being filled up with debris and other waste material,
and, so they became inaccessible in the course of time. Some fifty
years ago, the more comprehensive and more systematic works of
cleaning and rehabilitation of the substructure were started. Therefore,
the substructure space is nowadays being used as the site for different
activities i.e. exhibitions, concerts, theater performances, trade fairs
etc. The large central hall in the axis of the Palace is an important
urban communication passage, as it connects the waterfront with
Peristyle.