Tourist
Info Split and History of Split
Split is the economic and
administrative center of Middle Dalmatia,
with about 200,000 inhabitants.
It is also the jumping-off point for exploration
of the coast and islands of the beautiful
Croatian Adriatic. The site was first settled
when, at the end of the third century AD,
the Roman Emperor Diocletian built his palace
here.
The importance of Diocletian's Palace far
transcends local significance because of
its level of preservation and the buildings
of succeeding historical periods built within
its walls, which today form the very heart
of old Split.
Split's growth became particularly rapid
in the 7th century, when the inhabitants
of the destroyed Greek and Roman metropolis
Salonae (present-day Solin) took refuge
within its walls. The lovely ruins of ancient
city of Solin outside Slit can still be
explored today. In the Middle Ages, Split
was an autonomous commune.
Many of Split's historical and cultural
buildings can be found within the walls
of Diocletian's Palace. In addition, numerous
museums, the National Theatre, and old churches
and other archeological sites in the Split
region make it an important cultural attraction.
Split is also a very busy port, with an
international airport and regular ferry
services with the nearby islands, the north
and south Adriatic, Italy and Greece. The
merchant and passenger ships of the Split
shipyards may be encountered in almost all
the seas of the world. In addition, the
city has large chemical works, metallurgy
plants, and workshops for the production
of solar cells. The fertile fields around
Split represent a good base for agriculture,
while cultural monuments, superb landscapes
and unparalleled seascapes make it a tourist's
wonderland. Split is also a university seat
and host to numerous scientific institutions.
At the end of the third century
AD, the Roman Emperor Diocletian built his
palace on the bay of Aspalathos. Here, after
abdicating on May 1, 305, A.D. Diocletian
spent the last years of his life. The bay
is located on the south side of a short
peninsula running out from the Dalmatian
coast into the Adriatic, four miles from
the site of Salona, the capital of the Roman
province of Dalmatia. The terrain on which
the palace was built slopes gently seaward.
It is typical karst terrain, consisting
of low limestone ridges running east to
west with marl in the clefts between them.
This palace is today the heart of the inner-city
of Split where all the most important historical
buildings can be found. The importance of
Diocletian's Palace far transcends local
significance because of its level of preservation
and the buildings of succeeding historical
periods, stretching from Roman times onwards,
which form the very tissue of old Split.
The Palace is one of the most famous and
integral architectural and cultural constructs
on the Croatian Adriatic coast and holds
an outstanding place in the Mediterranean,
European and world heritage.
In November 1979 UNESCO, in line with the
international convention concerning the
cultural and natural heritage, adopted a
proposal that the historic Split inner city,
built around the imperial Palace, should
be included in the register of the World
Cultural Heritage.
The imperial Palace is built of white local
limestone of high quality, most of which
was from quarries on the island of Brac;
tuffa taken from the nearby river beds;
and brick made in Salonitan and other workshops.
Some material for decoration was imported:
Egyptian granite columns and sphinxes, fine
marble for revetments and some capitals
produced in workshops in the Proconnesos.
Water for the palace came from the Jadro
river near Salona. Along the road from Split
to Salona impressive remains of the original
aqueduct can still be seen. They were extensively
restored in the nineteenth century.
