Hotels near Peristyle Square (Peristil)

The Peristyle (Peristil) is the architectural and emotional centre of Diocletian's Palace and the most-photographed of all things to do in Split. The colonnaded courtyard measures about 35 by 13 metres and was the ceremonial space where Diocletian appeared before his subjects, framed by six tall Egyptian granite columns brought from Aswan. The columns themselves are roughly 1,800 years old and still carry the original Roman entablature.

Anchoring the south side is the Protiron, a triangular gable that once led into the emperor's private apartments and now opens onto the Vestibule rotunda. To the east stands the bell tower of the Cathedral of Saint Domnius; on the west are 15th-century Venetian-built houses that replaced the original palace temples. At the south-east corner stands a black-granite Egyptian sphinx over 3,500 years old, one of 12 that Diocletian originally imported. The square also doubles as a free open-air stage for the Split Summer Festival every July and August.

Pro Tip: The red-cushioned cafe (Luxor) that spills onto the Peristyle steps is overpriced - sit on the stone steps themselves with a takeaway coffee from a side alley like Dosud. The view is identical and you'll watch the city wake up in the same light Diocletian saw.