The Golden gate of the Diocletian Palace was our group meeting spot for a 5 pm tour in Split Croatia. As I had arrived early, there was an hour to wander on my own. The complex isn’t too large and is very navigable by foot, though in sections, it’s a bit of a labyrinth. My first impressions were somewhat harsh, over developed and too many tourists, in short, an archaeological tragedy. The 7th century Roman design had been over run with 21st century kiosks and cafes. In my haste to cover as much grown as possible my eye focused on the familiar and mundane.
At 5 pm, a tall, slender, young Croat, Marija, greeted us. The typical guide is knowledgeable and has a list of facts to impart. Marija told a story of the land, the people, shifting alliances— the conquerors and the conquered. She answered questions skillfully and wove our inquiries into her narrative.
Diocletian is credited with stabilizing the Roman Empire. He divided the empire into four regions, each ruled by a separate emperor, the Tetrarchy. In 303, he enacted a severe persecution of Christians through a series of edicts stripping Christians of their legal rights and demanding adherence to traditional religious practices. He enlarged the military, civil service and created administrative centers closer to the frontiers. He also changed the tax policy of the Empire by substantially increasing the tax rate and making all tax information public. Someone had to pay for the bureaucracy.
And, someone had to subsidize the construction of his retirement home, the Diocletian Palace.
Shortly after establishing the Tetrarchy, construction began on the Diocletian palace. The compound covers about 7.5 acres with an original footprint of 215m by 80 m. The imperial residence faced the sea, while troops were garrisoned in the back half. Diocletian’s quarters included three temples, a large mausoleum and a grand colonnaded courtyard. Diocletian was the first Roman emperor to retire. He abdicated after 21 years of rule, moving into the palace in 305.
The palace remained a Roman possession until about the 7th century. Then refugees from a recent conflict streamed into the fortress. Christians extracted revenge by converting Diocletian’s mausoleum into a church, dedicated to St. Domnius, one of the individuals martyred by the emperor. The cathedral was modified over the centuries with the addition of a bell tower in 1100 and a choir loft in the 17th century.
There is an Italian influence evident in many of the buildings. Dalmatia was sold in 1420 for 100,000 ducats to the Republic of Venice. The proceeds financed exploits of King Ladislaus. In 1497, Austria gained control. But after the Austrian defeat at Austerlitz in 1805, Dalmatia was ceded to Napoleon. General Marmont was appointed governor and did much to improve the city, including establishing hospitals and mandating education for at least one child of each family.
Austria would gain control again and their influence is seen in the Austrian Secessionist architecture along the fruit piazza. The piazza was a center for the fruit sellers of the 19th and early 20th century and is now home to organic juice and wine bars. kAs the fortress was modified, residents adapted. The area above the massive cellars of the original fortress was developed. The cellars became a septic tank for the new residents. The functional aqueduct and sewer system, installed and improved upon by the Romans, was abandoned. There’s an upside,1000 years of sewage preserved the cellars for future tourists and pivotal “Game of Thrones” scenes.
The Restoration of the palace has poured dollars and attention on Croatia and Split. Modern preservation techniques and a great deal of labor have yielded stunning results, most notably, the royal courtyard, also referred to as the Peristyle. This is the area where Diocletian would make his supplicants fully prostate themselves. In order to approach the emperor, you didn’t merely bow or kneel but fully spread your body on the stone of the courtyard.
The stone of the peristyle was cleaned using innovative laser and desalination methods. Corroded iron clamps were removed and replaced by stainless steel anchors. Where the iron clamps could not be removed, the connectors were treated with a corrosion inhibitor. Conservators worked to preserve the surfaces of the columns, capitals, and to increase the stone’s resistance to decay.
There are museums located within the grounds. The Ethnography Museum provides a well curated display of Croatian clothes, weapons and household items. The design of the museum provides state of the art access juxtaposed with ancient facades. The museum also affords a view from the top of the vestibule located next to the peristyle.
I was fortunate. The weather was wonderful and the cruise ships had gone. I was free to wander the the fortress with the phantoms of history.
Til Sarajevo!