What are the cellars of Diocletian's Palace?

The Cellars of Diocletian's Palace are a remarkably preserved set of ancient substructures located at the southern end of the palace in Split, Croatia. Originally built to hold up the private apartments of Roman Emperor Diocletian, these basement halls now form an integral part of the city's historic old town. They are recognized globally as one of the best-preserved ancient complexes of their kind.

What we know

• The Cellars of Diocletian's Palace are a set of substructures situated at the southern end of Diocletian's Palace. [2]
• These basement halls once held up the private apartments of Roman Emperor Diocletian. [2]
• The cellars represent one of the best preserved ancient complexes of their kind in the world. [2]
• The substructures are located in what is now the southernmost part of Split's Old Town in Croatia. [2, 3]

Where to go next

• whoWho was Emperor Diocletian?
• the bigger pictureWhat is the history of Diocletian's Palace?
• a case in pointWhat was the purpose of the Vestibule in Split?
• how it workedHow did ancient Roman substructures support massive imperial architecture?
• what followedHow does Split's Old Town incorporate the ancient palace today?
• an unexpected connectionHow do 17th-century Roman art galleries connect to ancient Split?Both involve monumental Roman architecture built to showcase power and prestige, bridging antiquity with later centuries of Italian and European monumental design.

Sources

• [1]Cellars of Diocletian's Palace (Wikidata Q12639925) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Cellars of Diocletian's Palace · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Diocletian's Palace · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Vestibule, Split · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Palazzo Barberini · CC BY-SA 4.0