Emperor Diocletian built the palace in the 3rd and 4th centuries A.D. to serve him in his retirement. The then-pagan Romans worshiped their emperors as gods, and Diocletian's god-like reign over his subjects is apparent in preserved elements of the palace. The arrival of a Christian population, which took over after the palace was no longer being used by Romans, created new uses for the palace's structures, and evidence of their influence is also present.
The modern promenade, made of slick white stone, serves as a place to gather, dine, soak up some sun, or just take in the beauty of this coastal city. It runs the length of the southern wall of Diocletian's Palace, Split's famous monument, and offers views of the ocean.
The promenade is a good place to gauge the size of Diocletian's Palace from the outside. From here, it's also possible to see how Split has incorporated the palace structure into the fabric of city life. The complex is a living monument - though people from other parts of the city come here to its historic center, Diocletian's Palace is still home to about 500 residents who live within the walls (some literally in the walls, which are thick, and in some sections, hollow, leaving enough room for human habitation).
