In the seaport and resort city of Split, the Dalmatia region, Croatia

 "If you could show the cabbage I planted with my own hands to your emperor, he definitely wouldn’t dare suggest I replace the peace and happiness of this place with the storms of a never-satisfied greed." -- Diocletian

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(in Dalmatia) The seaport and resort city of Split, the largest in Croatia's Dalmatia region, is found on a peninsula in the Adriatic Sea -- with a deep, sheltered harbor on the south side. The city is best known for the ruins of the Palace of Diocletian (built from 295–305). From the year 812, Split developed as a major Byzantine city. In 1105, after brief incursions by Venice (in 998) and Croatia (1069), the city acknowledged the nominal suzerainty of Hungary-Croatia and fought sporadically with its rival, Trogir; from 1420 to 1797 it was held by Venice. The Austrians ruled from 1797 to 1918 with a brief French interregnum in the early 1800s. Split became part of Yugoslavia in 1918, and of independent Croatia in 1992. In the 21st century, Split has become quite popular as a tourist destination, with many interesting places to visit, among which is the famous Diocletian Palace. A great place to see Dalmatian life as it’s really lived, this exuberant city has just the right balance between tradition and modernity. Step inside Diocletian’s Palace (a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s most impressive Roman monuments) and you’ll see dozens of bars, restaurants, and shops thriving amid the city's atmospheric old walls.

+ The Palace of Diocletian, an ancient Roman palace, was built here between 295 and 305 by the emperor Diocletian as his place of retirement (he renounced the imperial crown in 305 and then lived at Split until his death in 313). It is the largest and best-preserved example of Roman palatial architecture, representing a transitional style half Greek and half Byzantine. Taking up a prime harbrside position, the extraordinary palace complex is one of the most imposing ancient Roman structures in existence today. Don’t expect a "palace," though, nor a museum -- this is the city's living heart, its labyrinthine streets packed with people, bars, shops and restaurants. The original arches and columns of the palace wall can be seen by looking up, above the shops and restaurants. It must have presented a magnificent face to the sea, back in the days, with the water lapping at the base of the walls. It's not hard to see why Diocletian built his imperial apartments on this south-facing side of the palace, gazing out over the water.

+ Diocletian, the first Roman emperor to abdicate voluntarily (and the only one to survive his reign), commissioned the palace to be completed in time for his retirement in 305. It was built from lustrous white stone transported from the island of Brač. (Its white marble was imported from Italy and Greece, and columns and 12 sphinxes from Egypt).