The Peristyle is the main ceremonial square of Diocletian's Palace and the true heart of Split's old town. Ringed by columns on two sides, with the entrance to the cathedral (Diocletian's former mausoleum) at one end and the stairs down to the Cryptoporticus at the other, it is a compact space of extraordinary quality — pale stone, deep shadow, and a scale that manages to be grand without overwhelming.
In summer the Peristyle hosts open-air concerts during the Split Summer Festival, when an audience sits in the Roman square listening to opera or chamber music with the cathedral behind them. The cafe terraces on the flanking column-walks are good for a coffee and the view; the café within the columns themselves, with a Jurassic stone ceiling above, is one of the best-placed cafes in Croatia. The Cryptoporticus staircase nearby leads down to Diocletian's underground cellars — the most atmospheric entrance to that space.