A look at the opening of Nights of Diocletian through the lens of Split photographer 3 Gray Goats.
Nights of Diocletian officially began on August 25, 2017, transforming Diocletian’s Palace back to the time of the Romans.
Togas, Roman head pieces, and plenty of gold marked opening night which began with a procession on the Riva led by Emperor Diocletian (Robert Kurbaša) and Empress Prisca (Nives Ivanković).
Crowds gathered at Peristyle for the arrival of Diocletian in Prisca for a packed program that began precisely at 21:00. Acrobatics and fire dancers from the CROwd Control ensemble started the show.
Shortly after that, the gladiator match began! Titanus was named the winner.
And then there was the football match between Delmati and the Romans, belly dancing, and the closure of this part of the program by Emperor Diocletian and Empress Prisca.
After the program at Peristyle came to an end, the gathering continued for the toga-wearing troops in the basement of Diocletian’s Palace. Here, the people of Split feasted on the fare of ancient Roman times. Many Split restaurants including Pasta Factory, Konoba Nevera, and Luka Ice Cream participated in the gala.
And just like that, the opening of Nights of Diocletian ended with a bang.
You can find the full schedule for Nights of Diocletian here.