Dubrovnik

The gate, built in 1537, is the main entrance to the medieval old town of Dubrovnik. Originally, the drawbridge was made of wood and was raised at night to keep unwanted visitors away from the city walls. Since it was replaced by a stone bridge, a figure of the patron saint of Dubrovnik, St. Blaise, created by the famous Croatian sculptor Ivan Mestrovic (1883-1962), looks down on those who pass under the archway.

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In the 9th century, Saracens besieged Dubrovnik for 15 months. The earliest settlement upon the islet was protected by walls. The City first spread over the uninhabited eastern part of the Laus islet. During the 9th and the 10th century, the eastern section was included within the defensive walls.

The City was separated from the mainland by a sea channel, which was filled up with earth in the 11th century (today’s Stradun street), and in the 13th century the entire city was surrounded by a wall. The Dominican monastery of Dubrovnik was integrated into the city walls in the 14th century. At the same time, 15 square fortresses were built to increase the strength.

The design dates back to the 14th century, and the final form as we see it today was established around the fall of Constantinople in 1453; this is also the period known as the ‘Golden Age’ of Dubrovnik.

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In gratitude for the rescue from the terrifying earthquake of 1520, this small votive church was built in the same year and dedicated to Jesus Christ (i.e. Holy Saviour) by decision of the Dubrovnik Senate. How great the gratitude was is perhaps shown by the fact that the church remained unscathed during the devastating earthquake of 1667. It is a fine example of Dubrovnik Renaissance architecture and has been preserved in its original form to this day. The church, built by the master Petar Andrijić from Korčula, was completed in 1528. Legend has it that the noble women of Dubrovnik participated with great enthusiasm in the construction of this votive church, carrying the building material of wood and stone themselves.

The Franciscan order arrived in Dubrovnik around 1234. The first Franciscan monastery was built in the 13th century in the Pile district on the site of the present Hilton Imperial hotel.
However, since the city was threatened by war, it was decided in 1317 to demolish this monastery (the Franciscan Monastery of St. Thomas) to prevent it from being used by the enemy if the city was besieged.
The new monastery inside the city walls (Monastery of the Friars Minor) was built in the same year, 1317, but the works on the monastery continued for centuries.

The foundation of the Friars Minor Pharmacy also dates from the same year. The rule of the Franciscan Order was to take care of the sick confreres. However, this particular pharmacy was designed and founded not only for the needs of the monks, but also as a public pharmacy, which is confirmed by the original location of the pharmacy on the first floor of the monastery. The establishment of the pharmacy provided the order with a regular income and covered its material needs.
Today, the pharmacy of the Friars Minor is the third oldest functioning pharmacy in the whole world.

The great Franciscan church was one of the richest churches in Dubrovnik at the time when it was destroyed in the great earthquake of 1667. The only element of the former building that has been preserved is the portal on the south wall. It was probably moved from the front to the side wall during the restoration in the 17th century. The church was rebuilt in the Baroque style.
The northern wall of the church closes the southern wing of one of the most beautiful cloisters in Dubrovnik. This cloister was built in late Romanesque style by master Mihoje Brajkov of Bar in 1360. The surroundings are very harmonious, framed by a colonnade of double hexaphoras, each with a completely different capital.
The Franciscan cloister is one of the most valuable late Romanesque creations on the Croatian coast of the Adriatic. The Franciscan monastery has another cloister built in the Gothic style, but it is used only privately and is not open to the public.

The monastery owns one of the richest old libraries in Croatia, known throughout the world for the value of its holdings.
The book collection consists of over 70000 books, of which over 1200 are old manuscripts of extraordinary value and importance, 216 incunabula and 22 volumes of old church corals from the 15th to the 17th century. The collection of liturgical and artistic objects is exhibited in the large Renaissance hall, which contains the inventory of the old Franciscan pharmacy, paintings of old masters, valuable goldsmith’s work and rare books.

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Along the path from the entrance to the city walls is the Great Onofrio’s Fountain. It dominates the square and is not only a cute landmark and one of the city’s many photo opportunities. It also played an important role in the history of Dubrovnik.

He had to build a long aqueduct that stretched from the village of Šumet to Dubrovnik. The length of the aqueduct was about 12 kilometers. It was taken around Mount Srđ, through the city walls and around the city. This was a very difficult task, as the height difference between the water source and Dubrovnik was about 20 meters. Nevertheless, this did not prevent Onofrio from bringing water to the city using only gravity and natural fall. According to the contract, Onofrio De La Cava had to build two fountains; in addition to the described Great Onofrio’s Fountain, there is also the Small Onofrio’s Fountain at the opposite end of the main street of Stradun.

Special guards had to look after the security of the 12 km long aqueduct, which is a clear indication of how important it was. Every week, the city officer walked the entire length and checked if there were any problems in the “waterway”. It was common for local residents to remove the stone covers from the aqueduct and divert the water to their crops or to water their livestock.

The Republic of Dubrovnik was very harsh in punishing such practices. The maximum punishment for something like this was amputation of the hand. There was also a financial reward for anyone who reported such a crime. Today, no one will cut off your hand for “stealing a liter” of city water, so you can use this fountain to quench your thirst without worry. The Great Onofrio Fountain is one of the favorite spots for weary tourists, as it not only has clean water that is safe to drink, but is also pleasantly cool, refreshing in the scorching hot summer days.

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It was one of the most famous of the eight convents at the time and was the place where mainly girls of noble birth were ordained. It was built in the 13th and 14th centuries, when great care was taken to ensure that the nuns led virtuous lives, but extensive restorations were carried out in the following centuries.

As early as the 13th century, the convent housed a home for abandoned children, and in 1432 the city government established one of the oldest orphanages there. The building of the orphanage with an inscription in Latin above the door and the window where the unwanted children were abandoned can still be seen in nearby Zlatarićeva Street.

The Napoleonic authorities closed the monastery and turned it into an ammunition depot and a stable. Today the monastery complex is used for various purposes.

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Orlando, or Roland as he is called throughout Europe, was used as a symbol of a city that was under the protection of the Hungarian-Croatian king. At that time, it was common for the distant cities of the Hanseatic League to erect similar stone statues symbolising alliance and protection with the Hungarian-Croatian kingdom.
The Orlando column is a work of the local sculptor Antun Dubrovčanin and the master sculptor Bonino di Milano from 1418.
The column pragmatically served various purposes, as Orlando’s forearm was the standard measure of the Ragusian cubit, lakat, which is more accurately represented by a line in the base of the column. Public announcements were usually made from the top of this column, and public punishments were carried out within sight of the column. During the opening and closing ceremonies of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, Orlando plays the leading role. Today, as hundreds of years ago, Orlando’s role is unchanged, as he still proudly guards a banner hoisted on the supported mast above the column.

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The original bell tower of the city was built in 1444 and was oriented towards the centre of Stradun Street. It was a work of local masters Grubačević, Utišenović and Radončić. Initially, the two figures striking the bell were made of wood. Later, the wooden figures were replaced by bronze statues, the famous “zelenci” – Croatian (“the green ones”). In 1509, the famous benefactor Ivan Rabljanin had a new bell made, which is still in use today, as the Dubrovnik community did not like the sound of the previous bell. After the earthquake of 1667, the bell tower began to lean, following the example of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. in 1929 it was deemed unsafe and demolished to be replaced by a new bell tower built on the same pattern.

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One of the most beautiful sacral buildings in Dubrovnik, the present church of St. Blaise was built in 1715 in the extravagant Venetian Baroque style. It was built in 1706 by the Venetian master Marino Gropelli by order of the Dubrovnik Senate, who wanted to build a new church on the site of the old Romanesque church from the 14th century.
For the first time the church was damaged during an earthquake, and during the devastating fire in 1706 it was completely destroyed. Everything perished in the flames, except for the silver statue of St. Blaise, which was miraculously saved. After years in exile in the church of St. Nicholas in Prijeko, the statue was returned to its old place in 1715. The statue is one of the most important statues in Dubrovnik, and the model of the city held by the saint gives information about the architecture of the city at that time.

St. Blaise has been venerated as the patron saint of Dubrovnik since the 10th century. According to the chroniclers of Dubrovnik, St. Blaise saved the people of Dubrovnik in the 10th century when the Venetians anchored their ships in Gruž and off the island of Lokrum. The Dubrovnik people believed the assurances of the Venetians that they would leave for the Levant after being supplied with food and drink. The visitors took the opportunity to see the sights and see the weak points in the city’s defences. However, St. Blaise revealed their intentions to the parish priest Stojko and thus saved the city from the night attack. The priest described him as an old, grey-haired man with a long beard, a bishop’s mitre and a stick in his hand. This is exactly how his statues on the city walls and towers look.

Celebrated on 3 February, St Blaise’s Day is also the City of Dubrovnik Day.

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