Bronze Gate (Diocletian's Palace)
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The Bronze Gate (, ), or "the Southern Gate", is the smaller of the four principal Roman gates into the stari grad (old town) of
Split Split(s) or The Split may refer to: Places * Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia * Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay * Split Island, Falkland Islands * Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua Arts, enter ...
. Built as part of
Diocletian's Palace Diocletian's Palace (, ; ) is an ancient Roman palace and fortress complex built at the end of the third century AD by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence. About half of the complex was for Diocletian's personal use, with th ...
, it was originally a sea gate from which the
Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...
entered the complex by boat. Today it is the main entry point from the promenade to the cathedral.


History

Inhabitants of the palace accessed the gate through a complex of basement rooms, constructed just below the peristyle. There was no promenade; instead, the sea lapped up against the walls, allowing ships to dock at the palace. Known in
late antiquity Late antiquity marks the period that comes after the end of classical antiquity and stretches into the onset of the Early Middle Ages. Late antiquity as a period was popularized by Peter Brown (historian), Peter Brown in 1971, and this periodiza ...
as the ''Porta Meridionalis'' ("Southern Gate"), it was probably used by
Diocletian Diocletian ( ; ; ; 242/245 – 311/312), nicknamed Jovius, was Roman emperor from 284 until his abdication in 305. He was born Diocles to a family of low status in the Roman province of Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia. As with other Illyri ...
to travel to and from the docks. During the Middle Ages the gate offered a direct exit to the sea and escape in the event of an attack on the palace, and consequently became known as the "Security Gate". Today it is the most frequently used palace gate, and a starting point for many guided tours because of its access to the
Riva Riva may refer to: People * Riva (surname) * Riva Castleman (1930–2014), American art historian, art curator and author * Riva Ganguly Das (born 1961), Indian diplomat * Riva (footballer), Brazilian former footballer Rivadávio Alves Pereira ...
.


Description

The Bronze Gate was the main gate of Diocletian's palace (via the sea), located in the middle of the south wall; today this section of the outer walls is the best preserved. The gate is built in a style described by one modern guidebook as "anonymous and functional", and differs completely from the other three gates of the palace. It is smaller in size, lacks decoration, and is not supported by gatehouses on either side.


See also

*
Diocletian's Palace Diocletian's Palace (, ; ) is an ancient Roman palace and fortress complex built at the end of the third century AD by the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence. About half of the complex was for Diocletian's personal use, with th ...
* Vestibule, Split *The
Golden Gate (Diocletian's Palace) The Golden Gate (, ), or "the Northern Gate", is one of the four principal Roman gates into the stari grad (old town) of Split. Built as the main gate of Diocletian's Palace, it was elaborately decorated to mark its status. Over the course of the ...
*The
Iron Gate (Diocletian's Palace) The Iron Gate (, ), or "the Western Gate", is one of the four principal Roman gates into the stari grad (old town) of Split that was once Diocletian's Palace. Originally a military gate from which troops entered the complex, the gate is the only o ...
*The
Silver Gate (Diocletian's Palace) The Silver Gate (, ), or "the Eastern Gate", is one of the four principal Roman gates into the stari grad (old town) of Split that was once Diocletian's Palace. The gate faces east towards the Roman town of Epetia, today Stobreč.Šušnjar, Bogda ...
*The
Golden Gate (Constantinople) The Walls of Constantinople (; ) are a series of defensive stone walls that have surrounded and protected the city of Constantinople (modern Fatih district of Istanbul) since its founding as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Constantine t ...
, imperial entrance gate of the city of Constantinople, present-day Istanbul, Turkey *
Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...
*
Roman architecture Ancient Roman architecture adopted the external language of classical ancient Greek architecture for the purposes of the ancient Romans, but was different from Greek buildings, becoming a new architectural style. The two styles are often con ...


References


Further reading

* Šušnjar, Bogdan, Villa de Diocleziano in Split, Naklada Bošković, Split, 2003.


External links

{{Landmarks in Dalmatia World Heritage Sites in Croatia Buildings and structures in Split, Croatia Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Croatia Romanesque architecture Churches in Croatia Tourist attractions in Split-Dalmatia County City gates in Croatia