Split

A megalomaniac emperor’s onetime home, today’s Split is worth seeing

Split, one of Croatia’s most interesting cities, celebrated its 1,700th birthday in 2005, an anniversary that marked the dual event of the city's founding and the completion of Diocletian's magnificent palace in A.D. 305. Diocletian deliberately chose this site near ancient Salona, thereby securing a location that could provide the best of both country and city pleasures for his retirement years. As emperor emeritus in Split, the retired ruler might not have had the power of a sitting Roman emperor, but he still had some clout and, claiming that he was a descendant of the god Jupiter, demanded that anyone entering his presence bow to him.

In Split, Diocletian was just 4 miles from Salona, Dalmatia's provincial center of power, a site close enough to allow him to periodically visit Salona and stick his finger in affairs of state. Off duty, Diocletian lived near the sea in a palace the size of a small city – which you can still visit today – where he could at least maintain the illusion of imperial position. Other sites that draw travelers include the Cathedral of St. Domnius, People’s Square, and the Temple of Jupiter. The Split Summer Festival is a major attraction, too.

© 2009, Wiley Publishing, Inc.