Inspired by one of the most imposing heritage of the late Roman empire, this typeface captures the essence and glory of the Diocletian’s palace. Emperor Diocletian built the palace in the turn of the 4th century AD on the picturesque south coast of the Illyrian province, todays Dalmatia region, Croatia.
The ancient palace has become the old town of Split, bursting with lively cafes, restaurants, shops, hotels and apartments. Diocletian typeface is designed to bring the confidence and fortune of the ancient empire to modern communication in a very elegant and gentle manner: Fortiter in re, suaviter in modo — Resolute in execution, gentle in manner.
Diocletian typeface is based on the Uncial script, made up of wide, rounded letters, which was used only for important ancient texts. With that in mind, Diocletian typeface is designed to be used for very special projects; visual identities, packaging or book headings.
The typeface’s x-height is around 76% of its capitals and the ascenders are accentuated. This solves the legibility issue and makes it contemporary and readable. The font is enriched with stylistic alternates, ligatures and special characters for decorations.
