Page [5]

&
D E S C R I P T I 0 N
                                OF THE
      G E N E R A L                             P L A N
                                  O F
DIOCLESIAN's PALACE
                 A S R E S T O R E D,
                             EXPLAINING
The Manner of difpofing the Apartments in the Houdes of the Ancients.
T    H E Palace of DIOCLESIAN at Spalatro poffefed all thofe advantages
       of fituation, to which the Ancients were moft attentive, and which
they reckoned effential to every agreeable villa.  The foil of that part
of Illyricum was dry and fertile, though now confiderable tra6s of land lie
uncultivated. The air is pure and wholfome; and though extremely hot
during the fummer months, this country feldom feels thofe fultry and noxious
winds to which the coaft of IfIria, and fome parts of Italy, are expofed.
By
the care of the archite&t in observing an excellent precept of Vitruvius
(i),
every inconvenience arifing from the winds is avoided as far as poffible;
the
principal fireets or apertures of the villa being fo diipofed, as not to
lie open
to the impreffion of any of the winds which blow moft frequently in this
climate.
The views from the palace are no lefs beautiful, than the foil and climate
were
inviting. Towards the Weft lies the fertile fhore that ftretches along the
Adriatic, in which a number of fimall iflands are Scattered in fuch a manner,
as
            (I) Vitruvius, L. I. C. 4 and 6. L. 6. C. t;
I. U
D                         t
Dto