Highlights of Diocletian's Palace in Split

A Roman historian's tour of the Palace of Diocletian in Split, Croatia.
Check out my other channels, @toldinstone and @toldinstonefootnotes
Chapters
0:00 Diocletian and his palace
0:59 Overview and layout
2:37 South facade
3:07 East facade
3:39 Porta Aurea
4:09 Peristyle
4:48 Temple of Jupiter
5:49 Reception rooms (vestibule and substructures)
6:23 Mausoleum of Diocletian / Cathedral

[@matthiasm4299]

Crazy that the Romans built a palace compound so large that it was turned into a town!

[@barath4545]

Diocletian was one of the most powerful and influential emperors of the Roman empire, certainly the most important one of the later period of it. And this was his retirement "home" like his Camp David or so, 2 football fields x 2 football fields. A crazy massive "summer house".

[@marttoom5903]

In the south of France, a medieval town is built inside a Roman theater. It is the case that tiny medieval buildings are built into the round circusand the windows and passageways of the outer wall have been closed and it was used as a city wall. There are even towers built there. King Arthur's Round Table is actually the circus of a Roman town that was converted into an early medieval fortress.

[@TooLittleInfo]

In Yogyakarta, Indonesia, you can visit the taman sari, or royal baths. It is no longer in use but it is open to visitors, and while walking around the maze of passageways and walk along the rooftops you will encounter townspeople’s homes built right up against the walls and around inside the compound. The actual kraton (palace) still remains and last i heard, is no longer open to visitors? It’s a shame, bc when i visited i had the good fortune of catching a performance by the royal gamelan right there in the palace courtyard.

[@ageofechochambers9469]

​@@barath4545he was the source of all the problems we have now . Totalitarian governments were basically introduced by his "reforms " . FYI romans didn't innovate they copy pasted , from architecture to methodology. They just changed the names and facade of ancient civilizations and claimed it as their "own " . Romans copied from the Greeks before that from Egyptians before that from Babylonians etc . Basically Rome was the 3rd world of the ancient world, a backwards place . I know westerners don't like to hear this to know that ppl had running water 1000 years before Rome is not ideal for you sensitive lot .

[@AlbanianGladiator]

@@ageofechochambers9469What? Yes 😂 thats how cultures work people get inspiration from so did the Romans but if they were nro a great empire they wouldnt have killed off the others

[@marshalleubanks2454]

This is well worth a trip. I took the ferry there, and was amazed by how I could just walk off the boat and step 1700 years into the past.

[@nycgweed]

Croatia looks great always wanted to go

[@procrastinator41]

It’s good. People very friendly too

[@solinvictus39]

Much more economical than Italy, and no migrant/migrant crime problem like Italy.

[@thislittlelightofmine8776]

The level of detail in that masonry is astounding!

[@bryonmartin8463]

Its incredible to see roman buildings where the detailed interior craftsmanship remains intact. The details of the moulding and columns are stunning. One reason I enjoy visiting the pantheon so much is that it remains so pristine inside. Thank you for showing this.

[@R08Tam]

I stayed in a flat in the heart of the old town in 2009, a wonderful experience. I also took the bus to Dubrovnik

[@snotnosewilly99]

I am always amazed at the great work that was done to build these structures, with just hand tools.

[@mediolanumhibernicus3353]

Breathtaking. I had no idea of the existamce of this palace. A trip to Split is definitely on the cards.

[@fredyair1]

I was fortunate enough to have visited the Diocletian Palace, it is an amazing experience.

[@mateusz73]

Its a great and beautiful city, pretty crazy how youre just living in history there

[@dyinggaul8365]

Just did Split twice in last year. Absolutely awesome

[@internetexplorer6097]

I think about Rome everyday

[@Michael-ww3yp]

Don't we all...

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

I read about Ancient Rome, and Ancient Greece, which, as a Greek American, is closer to my heart, everyday. Much of Roman culture was adopted from that of the Greeks.🙂

[@brankobelfranin8815]

Split is a beautiful city.

[@dyinggaul8365]

I love Split

[@patf1288]

You must have filmed this early in the morning. I was there in June and it is packed shoulder to shoulder with tourists it is insane. Still worth the trip.

[@scenicroutestothepast]

I started just after dawn, and finished around 9:30. After that, it was impossible to get any filming done.

[@solinvictus39]

The worst is when the cruise ships come in. Also, it is best to tour places like Split during the off seasons.

[@Blackadder75]

@@solinvictus39 I am a teacher: pro: lot's of holiday weeks. con: they are all school holidays when tourist spots are always overcrowded. when I retire in 20 years my first thing will be to travel around for months, off season.

[@xXcangjieXx]

@@Blackadder75My best experience was a cloudy day in November in 2021 when I visited Pompeii. Me and my family were almost completely alone there.

[@solinvictus39]

Just an observation- this video would have benefited from the inclusion of a diagram of the original palace, and also the artist's rendition of how the original palace would have looked during Diocletian's time. Although I am aware of these things as I've been there (Split), I think it might be difficult for people who haven't been there to picture these scenes in their minds. Excellent video and narration, otherwise.

[@SavageVoyageur]

We were here about 5 years ago, thanks for the memories.

[@spankflaps1365]

I’m always amazed when original Roman stuff has survived like this, because here in England it all got quarried, leaving just the foundations. Bear in mind England hasn’t had earthquakes, so we could have had some big monuments, in fair condition.

[@brick6347]

There are few Roman buildings still standing in England. The lighthouse at Dover castle. Pevensey castle was still in use as recently as ww2, there are pillboxes built into the Roman walls!

[@jpaulc441]

I don't want to be the ".....actually" guy but Britain does get a few moderately large earthquakes every few hundred years. Nothing like the ones in Japan or California but strong enough to damage buildings, collapse church spires etc. I'm not sure if modern buildings here were ever designed with earthquakes in mind but I hope no historical structures will be badly damaged in the event of one.

[@gerardgarbutt607]

The Lincoln earthquake 1185 destroyed parts of Lincoln cathedral and several villages completely

[@muscledavis5434]

I love this place. Been there 2 times

[@nathanielscreativecollecti6392]

I love how alive the palace is even today. The shops, the bustle of people. It makes it feel like you are there for more than just the tourism.

[@milionST]

It is, but mass tourism is slowly choking and eventually squeezing out authentic local life. More and more the old town is being turned into a facade and front for youngsters from England to drink without any respect for the past. It is quite sad actually.

[@Pollicina_db]

@@milionST Yeah I saw on the news what all those crazy people are doing, jedna zenska je doslv sise pokazala kamerama mislim ono, nema kulture

[@hildaramirez1372]

Para mí fue alucinante estar en el palacio y ver la vitalidad de los pueblos aún en las circunstancias mas difíciles. La apropiación del palacio permitió la vida de los sobrevivientes de una etapa violenta de la historia y nos dejó huellas indelebles de la inigualable cultura romana. Este vídeo es de los mejores trabajos que he encontrado en la red. Mis sinceras felicitaciones y mi gratitud por una información histórica magistral que completa el conocimiento adquirido en mi visita a tan inolvidable ciudad.

[@okiokic]

Nice presentation of my town👏❤️

[@larsrons7937]

Thank you for the tour. This is one of the Roman remains outside Italy that I always wanted to visit and see. Now you renewed that interest.

[@_hench__5251]

Nice, was just checking out the older vids I missed.

[@johnryman1366]

I've been there didn't want to leave

[@josephtrahan8045]

Absolutely amazing so much is stayed and you can almost, almost! walk into a temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus untouched!!

[@Blackadder75]

what is also amazing is that the 'new' doors are like from the 13th century.... in most countries those would be among the oldest artifacts in the country (not counting simple bronze tools or pottery) but here it's oh the new doors that were added 1000 years after the build.........

[@rustynail9007]

Wow that must have been amazing to see

[@cognitor900]

Thanks for this! This ruin is on my bucket list (I’ve got ages to go…!) and has whetted my appetite for the real thing. Last time I got close there was the war….. 30 years ago. Soon…… Great channel by the way!!!

[@33Donner77]

Thanks. Diocletian knew that retirement was preferable to the fate of many of his predecessors, and raising cabbages can be a rewarding experience.

[@richardglady3009]

Thank you for sharing this site with those of us stuck at home. Thanks for all your hard work in its creation.

[@superdivemaster]

Great Video ... Buon Video ...

[@kimberlyperrotis8962]

Wonderful, thank you. I enjoy all your channels and videos, Dr. Ryan.

[@getsomerest9053]

love this channel

[@tomam258]

I spend almost every weekend night out in the palace and it's awesome you did a video about it. Will you do a video for Salona since it's only 20 minutes away by car and it's a pretty big site?

[@scenicroutestothepast]

Unfortunately, no. I was only in Split for a day, and didn't have the time to plan a good video on Salona.

[@tamascsizmadia1759]

You should have visited the dungeons, there is also one stone bust of Diocletianus@@scenicroutestothepast

[@solinvictus39]

I took a side trip to Salona while I was in Split... I practically had the place to myself, it was great! Some of the octogonal gates have survived from Republican Roman times. I love the fact that so much Roman history is to be found in the Balkans and that most tourists haven't discovered it yet. It is nice to go to a site like Salona and not have to fight crowds or obnoxious tourists... I got to walk around the amplitheatre- alone - and just soak in the history without interruption.

[@Blackadder75]

@@solinvictus39 that sounds very cool, I will join soon as one of the tourists, thank you (but I am more like a dr Ryan kind of tourist) I once visited Hadrians villa outside Rome in the middle of summer and surprisingly it was also almost empty and I could walk around large areas with barely anybody else. Be sure to go there if you are in Rome, it;s 30km east of the city

[@RunningPotato]

Out of curiosity, do you add the voice over afterwards or do you comment on site? If you do so on site, do crowds sometimes gather to listen to you?

[@scenicroutestothepast]

I comment on site. I've never drawn more than a curious glance.

[@RunningPotato]

@@scenicroutestothepast wow thats impressive that you do it "on the fly"! Thanks for the great work and keep it up!

[@thierrydesu]

Ca donne envie d'aller en Croatie. Un voyage Paris - Ravenne - Saint-Marin - Ancône - Dubrovnik - Split - Trogir - Lacs de Plitvice - Trieste - Venise - Vaduz - Paris, après tout ça ne fait que 3500 kilomètres.

[@Pollicina_db]

Huh, as a croat I could only dream about a trip like that, its only for the rich mcrich people hahahha

[@thierrydesu]

@@Pollicina_dbWhen I travel, I always go to different places. I book months in advance.

[@morgan97475]

Thanks for this.

[@solinvictus39]

Fun fact: the US Army Air Force bombed Split during WWII. One of the towers of the palace was severely damaged by American bombs and I believe some portions of the wall and houses within the walls were damaged as well.

[@spektakelkd]

Amazing content as per usual

[@youonlylivetwice5555]

👍👍

[@robertswartwout6494]

Great video. Hoping to visit this coming June.

[@henningvonplaten1548]

Thank you for this very interesting video!

[@mg4361]

The selfie-taker is curtain-bearer in the palace of Chosroes, The souvenir seller sounds the relief in the castle of Afrasiyab

[@shellminator]

great video

[@johnspizziri1919]

This was Amazing.

[@Victor-xj4cv]

Can't make out the portrait of Diocletian referenced at 7:22. Googling for didn't really turn up any either.

[@milionST]

Just copy this phrase to a search engine "dioklecijanov portret mauzolej" It is in Croatian and should provide you with the results you want.

[@gideonros2705]

You can find it in the provided link. It's weathered by time and I don't know if its officially recognised as his portrait. The information under the image only says that it's accepted as his portrait according to the local tradition.

[@rickb3078]

First. Update: awesome video!

[@nyckolaus]

Fabulous! But what a beast was he.

[@Jhossack]

Your the told in stone guy. Your style is simpatico to mine. I love your work.

[@trevortaylor5501]

The artwork is beautiful, could you imagine the amount of time to it took just to carve all those columns and ceilings. To do that now a days would cost billions.

[@dima97]

Billions???? Try millions

[@LauraS1]

@@dima97 No, probably at least $1 billion USD when you consider the necessity of finding craftsmen and women with the right kind of skill set to create such works of art, paying them what they are worth and commensurate to their level of artistry and technical expertise, sourcing the materials from the areas of the world the originals came from (as close as possible if not from the same quarries should they be extant) and so forth. By far, the majority of the costs to replicate everything found in the palace would be for the labor with sourcing and shipping the various types of stone making up a large chunk of the remainder. Skilled sculptors who truly understand more than one type of stone are just about worth their weight in gold (or anything even more precious than gold) nowadays.

[@solinvictus39]

Thank you for this, Dr. Ryan! I got to visit Split a couple years ago and to stay within the walls of the palace. A truly unique and interesting relic of the Classical World that one can visit very economically.

[@jasonblankenship8274]

Garrett how often do you think about the Roman Empire?

[@MatthewDoye]

My second favourite roman emperor after Aurelian. Long live the virtus illyrici.

[@ayrron1986]

Hello. I like your channel and the way you present it. One small advise from my side, when you show and describe the details, please consider using a laser pointer, as it is easier to follow. Thanks!

[@diannewheatleygiliotti8513]

Thanks!

[@scenicroutestothepast]

Deeply appreciated!

[@SpaceHCowboy]

Shout out to the white Mk1 Fiat Punto at the beginning. That thing might be as old as the palace. 🤘🏼

[@brick6347]

Remarkable. You can see how much of its style was borrowed by the Victorians. Many a posh building in London bears more than a passing resemblance

[@milionST]

Well, mr. Robert Adam was inspired, amongst all the other marvels he observed during the Grand Tour, by our lovely palace.

[@RizzstrainingOrder66]

Is just this Video coming today or will you load up today on the other one/s too?(love your content)

[@ChibiButo]

BASED

[@gitfoad8032]

Where those windows glazed?

[@acolyte1951]

It's hard to believe that thousands of people would've lived inside a large palace like this, akin to a small city, since it seems so crammed. I guess not everyone would literally live and stay inside of the palace yearlong... roman cyberpunk?

[@barath4545]

By lived, we should remember that 900 of the 1000 people were likely staff/slaves and had basic living quarters. It was basically the private home of one man, the most powerful person in the world over a period of more than 20 yrs back then.

[@acolyte1951]

@@barath4545 Yes that's a good point, I didn't think that not everyone would be hanging around where the upper folk would be. But even if I was a well-taken care of slave or servant, I'd still feel pretty nauseous in a small space like that. But then again, people have been living in tight-knit 'cities' since ancient times in the Levant and elsewhere. So, it's not as unusual as I originally thought.

[@Blackadder75]

@@acolyte1951 in 1900 people in europe would be crammed in small slum housing with 10 kids. (on of the reasons so many emigrated to the New World aka Americas. My living grandmother was born in 1927, her mother would have seen those conditions.

[@khalidalali186]

If ever there was anyone that deserved a retirement palace, it was Diocletian.

[@jpaulc441]

I wonder if the Palace was painted or kept natural? It doesn't seem to have the red brick "stripes" that many other Roman walls had.

[@milionST]

You are reffering to opus mixtum, and yes, there's a lot of such walls preserved inside of palace. The outer, perimeter walls however were built exclusively from cyclopic blocks of high quality local carst, mined mostly from island of Brač.

[@republicradio431]

its a shame u didnt show the church they build in it, its still admirable history

[@vickilindberg6336]

Just realized what it meant for an emperor to Retire. Voluntarily And Alive . That must have been interesting.

[@Neldonax]

amazing watching a youtuber film locations where i get pissed

[@christianmccann9400]

As brutal as the romans were .. dam they had great taste in architecture

[@geraldmiller5260]

Split is famous for a famous dessert. You have probably heard of banana Splits??!?

[@NSResponder]

The emperor who pioneered all of the idiotic economic polices that Keynesians still advocate today.

[@Aleks_Ovski416]

The Slavs didn't invade, they migrated. Important distinction.

[@mikered1974]

The Croats are indeed descent too Slavs but they are also partly descent from illyrians as proof when the Balkans was overrun & depopulated the Dalmatia region is still populated by illyrians thats why i keep reminding those Albanians Nationalist Idiots that Croatians are far more Descended from Ancient illyrians than them who Gods know whose there Forefathers are but according too history & Dna test they are more Slavs with largely mixed of Bulgars & Turks than Ancient Dardanians/illyrians.

[@solinvictus39]

@@mikered1974 Yes, I believe the Slavs originally settled in the Balkans after successive epidemics had decimated the population of the area.