{"id":119354,"date":"2024-02-01T15:15:54","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T23:15:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/travelthefourcorners.com\/?p=119354"},"modified":"2025-08-18T19:18:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T02:18:31","slug":"game-of-thrones-in-real-life-splits-secrets-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/travelthefourcorners.com\/game-of-thrones-in-real-life-splits-secrets-revealed\/","title":{"rendered":"Game of Thrones in Real Life? Split’s Secrets Revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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While Croatia’s Dubrovnik steals the spotlight with its Game of Thrones grandeur, Split is where a Roman emperor lounged in an opulent palace, a medieval bishop preached defiance, and gladiatorial roars once echoed in a nearby arena. <\/strong><\/p>

Wander cobbled streets where history hums from beneath your feet, from the whispers of Diocletian’s mausoleum to the clinking of spoons in taverns within centuries-old buildings. Split invites you to touch the rough edges of history, where every weathered stone whispers a forgotten tale.<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Date of Visit: September 23-25, 2022<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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<\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/i><\/div>Our Destination Rating 4.9<\/span><\/cite>\t\t\t\t\t
Read More<\/span><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Croatia's Imposing Bishop Gregory of Nin<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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“Rub his big toe for good luck,” said our tall, impossibly thin Croatian guide, Marija. We walked toward Bishop Gregory of Nin (aka Grgur Ninski), his bearded head and pointy medieval hat poked clownishly above the tree tops toward the threatening gray sky.<\/p>

Marija’s toe-rubbing suggestion would have been an awkward request had the man with the lucky toe not been a 28-foot-high (8.5 meters) bronze statue. The imposing monument stands just outside the Golden Gate, one of four intact Romanesque stone gateways built into the walls of Diocletian’s Palace in Croatia’s historic Split.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Bishop of Gregory of Nin's fingers are extraordinarily long, which was one of the sculptor's vanities. He was showing off his skills, so to speak because fingers are notoriously tricky to sculpt in bronze and other metals. (Image by JAG)\n\n\nNin's toes are pretty long too. (iStock.com\/amilat)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Centuries collide in Croatia and other parts of the world, unlike where I live in California. There is nothing remotely like ancient or medieval Europe in America, where only a handful of native Indian stone dwellings date to the pre-Columbian era (before Christopher Columbus). That may be why I’m fascinated by relics left by ancient conquering armies and navies.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Ancients Before Gregory<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Croatia was the stomping ground of the ancients (Illyrians, Greeks, Celts, and Romans) before the Slavs, Venetians, Habsburgs, and Hungarians came in the Middle Ages. The Habsburgs stayed for centuries, fighting invading Ottoman armies in the 16th and 17th centuries. These historical timelines overlap in the placement of statues and the natural eclectic architecture of towns and cities.<\/p>

Split is an excellent example of this historic mishmash. Here, you can walk under decorative Venetian balconies overhanging narrow Roman cobbled streets. You will invariably pass well-preserved Gothic-Renaissance, Venetian, and Roman buildings tucked behind tiny courtyards, some with tables set out to serve tourists.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Pala\u0107a Dragi\u0161i\u0107 (Palacio de Caris o Geremia) has Gothic and Renaissance characteristics from a redesign in the 15th century. It is next to the popular Gelataria Emiliana, which attracts far more notice.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Small courtyards with restaurant tables like are tucked away within the ancient walls of Diocletian's Palace. (Image by JAG)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Most of us barely stop to think about the time warp from one building to another. But sitting at my computer, sorting the visit in my mind, I find it remarkable how seamlessly the Old Town (<\/span>Stari Grad<\/span><\/em>) of Split blends history.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Gregory Is A Croatian Hero<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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But I digress. Let’s return to the medieval Bishop we left before we entered the Palace walls. He was born long after the death of the Palace’s anti-Christian Roman namesake, Diocletian. Yet, there he stands as if part of the Roman empire.<\/p>

Unlike the ruthless Diocletian, Bishop Gregory of Nin is a Croatian national hero who famously disobeyed the Vatican in 926 AD by giving sermons in Croatian rather than Latin, a language understood only by the most highly educated Slavs in the Kingdom of Croatia.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Golden Gate entrance to Diocletian's Palace. Surprisingly, the dark window on the left is an apartment for rent. There are many private apartments for rent inside the Palace; some were once smaller noblemen's palaces built within Diocletian's Palace walls long after he passed away.(iStock\/RudolfErnst)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Spreading Catholicism in Croatia<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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By making his sermons understandable to the masses, the rogue Bishop helped spread Catholicism to this once-tribal nation that, during Diocletian’s time, worshiped a pantheon of gods before embracing Catholicism. Croatia is 86 percent Catholic today. (See Country Profiles in\u00a0<\/span>Travel Resources<\/span><\/a>). What a difference 1,700 years can make, eh?<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Bishop’s sandaled left foot protrudes beneath his heavy bronze robe, seemingly there for the rubbing. And yet, it’s hard to imagine that is what Croatian sculptor Ivan Me\u0161trovi\u0107 intended when he cast the statue in 1929. The Bishop’s toe has turned a golden hue from all the attention, not just from tourists but also from locals.<\/p>

“I don’t believe it brings good luck, but why not?” Marija said with a laugh. Her English is perfect. Her let’s play it safe advice is one of the reasons this myth lives on.<\/p>

“Go stand by him; I’ll get a picture,” said my husband impishly. “Let me take a photo of both of you,” said Marija, reaching for my phone to digitize a tourist rite I could post on social media. Obediently, we sidled up to the Bishop for Marija’s impromptu photo shoot.<\/p>

Has the toe polishing brought us luck? The jury is still out.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Unlucky Christians<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Having hedged our bets, we stepped into the retirement residence of the unpleasant Roman Emperor Diocletian (245-313 AD). Depending on who you ask, he wasn’t all bad. If you weren’t a Christian or slave forced to build his palace retreat on Split’s shores, he was a tad better than Caligula, Nero, and a few other notorious Roman emperors. After all, he helped save the Roman Empire from collapse after nearly 50 years of strife, appointed a co-emperor, and presided over the Eastern Empire until his retirement in 305 AD.<\/p>

The problem is Diocletian didn’t much like Christians. He killed several thousand during his reign in the late 3rd and 4th Centuries AD. Many died horribly after being tortured in front of spectators in an Amphitheater several miles away in Salona (now Solin). See the Salona section at the bottom of this post.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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UNESCO World Heritage<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Aside from all that unpleasantness, Diocletian’s Palace, built for his retirement years, is truly a marvel. In truth, it looks more like the remains of a fortress than a palace. It is considered one of the best-preserved Roman ruins in the world. It has been on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list since 1979, one year after the esteemed United Nations’ list of natural and cultural treasures came into being.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Game of Thrones Film Site in Croatia<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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And I would be remiss if I didn’t give a nod to popular culture. Game of Thrones fans will be interested to know the directors filmed several scenes from the hit television series at Diocletian’s Palace. Its old Roman buildings and narrow passageways served as a site double for nearby Klis Fortress, which was the setting for Meereen in the fictional kingdom of Westeros.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Diocletian’s cellars made perfect “stables” for two of Daenerys Targaryen’s terrifying dragons. Also filmed here were the “Kill The Masters” slave revolt and the murder of the honorable and beloved Ser Barristan Selmy.<\/p>

If you aren’t a GOT fan, all you need to know is that the palace setting was ideal for reimagining a period that drew from antiquity but which served as a backdrop for fantasy. Last I checked, there were never dragons in Split.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Palace Walk<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The walls of Diocletian’s Palace, within Split’s Old Town, are bordered by the Aegean seafront to the south and a park to the north.<\/p>

The Palace is a twisty ramble through the Old Town’s narrow streets. Visitors can enter and exit freely through four gates named after metals: Iron (west), Brass (south), Silver (east), and Gold[den] (north) gates. The gates are long gone, but the stone archways are intact.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Silver Gate. (iStock.com\/sanniely)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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I’d love to know how the gates came by their names. After Diocletian passed, the Palace changed hands numerous times after the locals moved in. The gates likely earned their names in the medieval period or later.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Peristyle Square - The Main Drag<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Peristyle Square. (Image by JAG)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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At the heart of the Palace is Peristyle (Peristil) Square, which looks like it fell out of a Hollywood set for\u00a0<\/span>Gladiator<\/span><\/em>. It is framed on two sides by the octagonal Cathedral of St. Dominius (originally Diocletian’s Mausoleum) and, on the other, by steps leading down to expansive cellars once filled with seawater, freshwater and a sulfur spring, but now housing vendors selling everything from sea shells, colorful ceramics, prints to refrigerator magnets, beaded jewelry, and sandals.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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These modern day Roman guards expect a tip.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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We arrived late afternoon, and the place was still a hive of activity. <\/span><\/p>

Tourists strolled through the square, some jostling for camera angles and others taking it all in. A few day drinkers sat atop Lvxor Caf\u00e9 and Restaurant’s<\/a> plush cushions on the stone steps, sipping cocktails and watching the action that included grown men in Roman outfits wielding swords and taking money from tourists like me. <\/span><\/p>

Notwithstanding the sightseers, cocktails, and the tourist information office, I felt transported back in time.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Diocletian's Palace as it looked in the early 4th century AD. Source: Wikipedia Commons. French architect, archaeologist and urban planner Ernest H\u00e9brard. Recolored by DIREKTOR.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Even with a glass-framed illustration of the former Palace on a nearby wall, it takes a bit of imagination to envision how the crumbling complex once housed Diocletian’s private quarters and a military garrison. The imperial apartments were on the upper floor, which has long since disappeared. However, we have an idea of their magnificence.<\/p>

Archeologists speculate that Diocletian’s living quarters resembled the cavernous spaces and arched ceilings of the cellars you can still walk through.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Split's waterfront today. (iStock.com\/xbrchx)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Diocletian kept the water view for himself. The water level no longer laps against the palace walls; today, a promenade separates the Palace from the harbor.<\/p>

The military barracks were located on the northern side of the Palace near the Golden Gate, facing Salona, the capital of Dalmatia. If there were to be trouble, that is the direction it would come from. Historians figure the military accounted for half of the Palace’s 33,000 yards (30,000 sq meters).<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Somewhat surprising for an archeological site are all the shops, cafes, restaurants, and apartments operating out of the old buildings within the Palace. About 3,000 people live within the open boundaries of Diocletian’s Palace today, and tourists can book accommodations here.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Cathedral of St. Dominius\/Diocletian's Mausoleum<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Diocletian’s mausoleum is like a Russian\u00a0<\/span>matryoshka<\/span><\/em> nesting doll.<\/span><\/p>

\"\"<\/a><\/p>

The Cathedral of St. Dominius sits inside the mausoleum, a structure dating back to AD 305. When the Western Roman Empire collapsed in AD 476, the Byzantines promptly tossed out Diocletian’s remains<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>

In the 7th century, the church consecrated the mausoleum as a Cathedral. Ironically, the mausoleum became the “Cathedral of St. Dominius” in deference to Bishop Dominius of Salona, whom Diocletian inadvertently martyred.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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View of the octagonal Cathedral of St. Domnius and its bell tower (iStock.com\/Luc Rousseau) <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The altar inside St. Domnius Cathedral. features angels with golden wings. (Image by JAG)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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St. Domnius Cathedral pulpit in Split, Croatia. (Image by JAG)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Bell Tower<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Cathedral of Saint Domnius and its bell tower (iStock.com\/Darko Mlinarevic)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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If you’ve closely followed our Croatia adventures, you’ll know that Chris and I can never resist a bell tower. <\/span><\/p>

We ascended the 183 steps of the Cathedral’s bell tower, originally built in the 13th century and reconstructed in the early 20th century, to see the cityscape. <\/span><\/p>

It was worth it, even with my badly swollen leg from\u00a0<\/span>the horse wreck<\/span><\/a>\u00a0days before.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Treasury <\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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A Treasury room across from the Cathedral houses a valuable ecclesiastical collection, including gold chalices, paintings, and the oldest illuminated Croatian manuscript. Over the years, the Catholic Church collected these relics from various parts of Europe to place them in this, the oldest church in Split. The Treasury room sits on the site of a Roman pagan temple dedicated to the mother goddess Cybele.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The cellars of Diocletian's Palace now cater to tourists.(iStock.com\/jarnogz)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Cellars<\/h4>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Bronze Gate and steps at the southern end of the Peristyle lead down to the cellars next to the Cathedral. These vaulted cellars (aka substructures) once propped up Diocletian’s living area. Before modern-day merchants set up their kiosks here, the cellars were a source of fresh and thermal springs for Diocletian. When the townspeople moved in during the Middle Ages, they used the cellars as a dump.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Traces of Egypt<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Diocletian became fascinated by all things Egyptian during his campaigns in the Middle East. That explains the sarcophagus he chose to be buried in when he died at the ripe old age of 68.<\/p>

Of the 13 Eqyptian sphinxes Diocletian brought from Egypt, only three survive today. A black sphinx sits on a wall above Peristyle Square. A headless sphinx sits in front of Jupiter’s temple, and a third is in the city museum.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Unique Sphinx with human arms in the Peristyle. In this photo you can see one of many Roman columns in Diocletian's Palace (Image by JAG)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Typically, Egyptian sphinxes have a lion’s body and paws with the head of a Pharaoh. Remarkably, the one in Peristyle Square has slender human arms, though the hind legs resemble a lion’s.<\/p>

The red granite columns throughout the Palace are also from Egypt. Pity the poor slaves who had to haul them to Croatia.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Ticket Prices for Your Palace Tour<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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There is a Tourist Information Center in the same building as The Treasury at Peristyle Square, where you can buy tickets to see the sites. Tickets are sold at each site, too.<\/span><\/p>

There are four types of tickets, depending on how much you want to see. There is no charge for the cellars. For the latest prices, check\u00a0<\/span>Croatia Tourism<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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