Ruins of the palace of the Emperor Diocletian

Ruins of the Palace at Spalatro by Robert Adam is a foundation work of neo-classical architecture.

In July 1757, in company with the French architect C.L. Clerisseau and two other draughtsmen, Adam visited Spalatro (Split) in order to explore and measure the ruins of the great Palace of Diocletian. He seems to have been travelling with the intention of producing a book which would establish his reputation 'with a great puff' and apparently chose Spalatro because of its residential character, so different from the Greek and Roman architectural monuments being illustrated by his contemporaries such as Stuart and Revett, Wood, and Le Roy. Also, Adam had more natural artistic flair than his contemporaries, so that he included more views and flourishes than are to be found in those earlier works which seem a little dry in comparison.

The text to this work was written by Adam's cousin William Robertson and Bartolozzi engraved majority of the magnificent plates which accompany it. Other engravers included Zucchi, Santini and Cunego. The influence of this work could be seen in Adam's later work and in the work of other Neo-classicists.