Dubrovnik Museums

The Institute of Dubrovnik Museums, founded in 1872, possesses a rich and valuable collection of Dubrovnik belongings housed in 5 different places throughout the city.

The Cultural-Historical Museum is located in the Rectors Palace, palace that housed the Dubrovnik government during the Dubrovnik Republic. The collection held in the Cultural-Historical Museum dates from the XIV to XIX century periods of Dubrovnik. Here we can find ancient Dubrovnik weapons and coins, and portraits of important people from these periods (Bosković, Getaldić, Gradić, Gundulić, Cvijeta Zuzorić), including works by Dubrovnik and Italian painters. It is enchanting to see the living quarters of former rectors, furnished with original Venetian workmanship, silk dresses and uniforms belonging to rectors and councilmen, as well as other artifacts of the period.

The Ethnographic Museum - Museum of Holes is placed in the oldest part of the City. The building dates from 1542 and used to be grain storage. Collection exhibits traditional culture, national folklore costumes, ancient jewellery and lacework fabricated by the craftsmen of old Dubrovnik, revealing the secrets of how people once lived, both lower and upper classes.

The Maritime Museum - located in the Fort of Saint John that defends the entrance to the old city harbor, is a place that bears witness to the wealth of Dubrovnik's maritime history - paintings of ships that were pledged by seamen, documents, ships inventory, tools, and ship models from the middle Ages.

The Archaeological Museum - contains a collection of items dating from prehistoric times to the middle Ages. There are numerous exhibits and remnants of Middle Age churches, as well as a collection dating to ancient Egypt and Cyprus.

The Marin Držić House is the first house set up to Croatian writer. Marin Drzić was the gratest comedy writer in Croatia and a Museum's concept is based on showing the collection  of posters, program’s and photographs of performances of Marin Drzić plays in Croatia and abroad.

The Modern History Museum features a large collection of documents and other materials from the Second World War, and has in recent years been gathering documents and memoirist writings on the recent Croatian Homeland War in Dubrovnik and its surroundings.

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Marin Drzic Theatre

The old arsenal Orsan was the first closed theatrical area in Dubrovnik, existed from the end of the 17 century up until 1808. Until then the theatrical performances were carried out on the streets of Dubrovnik, but mostly in the wide frontal area of the Rectors Palace. After the fall of the Dubrovnik Republic, performances were held in the former City council area and the theatre was called the Rectors Theatre. Later, it was destroyed in the fire in 1817, so the theatre plays started to conduct in the renovated house of Gucetic-Gozze. The building that was financed by Luko Bundić-Bunda, and which houses today’s Marin Drzić Theatre, was opened in 1865 with the formal presentation of Verdis opera "Ernani", performed by the Italian Compagnie Theatre, up until World War II. As a professional theatre Marin Držić Theatre exists from 1944 and it received its name in commemoration of the 400 year-old death of the great Dubrovnik writer, Marin Drzić.

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Dubrovnik Symphonic

Orcestra

The Dubrovnik Symphony Orchestra operates continuously since 1924, initially as a semi-professional organization, and subsequently as a fully professional orchestra. At the end of World War I, a group of high school graduates established "a society for the nourishment of classical music" that developed into the first symphonic orchestra of Dubrovnik - the Dubrovnik Philharmonic. The initial aid and support for the development of the Dubrovnik Philharmonic was extended by its first conductor, the Polish Tadeusz Sygietinski. As a continuation of the long and significant musical tradition that had already been developed in the early years of the Republic of Dubrovnik (1358-1808), the symphony orchestra gradually developed and flourished, in the 1950s, when began to appear at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival as the only musical body. The Dubrovnik orchestra has changed conductors, musicians and soloist throughout its history, and has gradually gained more authority by the growing quality of its musical content. Now, The Dubrovnik Symphonic Orchestra gives weekly concerts in summer palace Crijevic-Pucic, that is located close to the heart of the Old Town, surrounded by magnificent Renaissance park and its rich repertoire includes musical works of world renown. The majority of the musicians now playing in the Dubrovnik Symphonic Orchestra is from Dubrovnik, but also includes musical artists from Poland, Bulgaria, the Ukraine, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Dubrovnik Symphonic Orchestra has had the honor of performing with such world-famous conductors as Zubin Meht, Kiril Kondrasin, Thomas Baldneer, Kurt Adler, Ernst Marzendorfer and with such soloist as Henryk Szeryng, Mstislava Rostropovic, David Ostraich, Montserrat Caballe, Ivo Pogorelic, and others.

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Dubrovnik Brass Band

& Dubrovnik Majorettes

This musical ensemble, performing for over one hundred and sixty years, has been the skeleton for the most of the City’s festivals and events. It managed to survive the years of Dubrovnik turbulent history struggling with the financial problems as well as competitive ones. In Dubrovnik, the tradition of playing in a Brass Band orchestra has been passed on from generation to generation in numerous families, whose members are active musicians in the "mužiki", as it is fondly called. The Dubrovnik Majorettes, a team of thirty girls, have been performing alongside Dubrovnik’s Brass Band for the past few years.

Mixed Choir Libertas

Mixed Choir Libertas is the older and larger group of one of the two amateur choir groups that are performing vocal music in Dubrovnik, established in 1980. Entering its twenty-first year of successful activities, the choir has eighty members of various professions. The choir members like to say how they are an amateur choir that works professionally, for they have given two hundred and fifty performances over the years, working exclusively with an orchestra. During recent years, they have been showing a predisposition for "a capella" singing.

Dubrovnik Choir of Chamber

The quality and reaches of this young musical choir have earned it a permanent position in the Dubrovnik Summer Festival. It has also won a number of prestigious awards at choir contests. The top performances given by the forty, exceptionally young, choir members are proof of why they are so successful - they truly love vocal music. Their repertoire includes the works of old masters, as well as compositions by renowned Croatian and foreign composers of the 20th century.

Folk ensamble Linđo

The folk ensemble Linđo, founded more than 40 years ago, continues and revive the tradition of Croatian national songs and dances. The liveliness of the young dancers is captivating as they attempt to demonstrate their country’s rich culture and folklore, dancing in priceless, elaborate costumes that are rich in color and ornaments. "Linđo" has toured twenty countries both in Europe and globally throughout its thirty five years of activities. It has won awards and recognition and has promoted Croatias cultural and touristy values.

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Lazareti Art Workshop

The Lazareti Art Workshop, civil non-profit organization founded in 1988, has an important and responsible role in the local community. The KARANTENA project gives the city significant cultural, social and tourist substance. Its modern, urbanely-profiled programme, liberal concept and recognizable model make the Lazareti one of the main outcomes of the City’s communication with the world. The LAW has organized 160 exhibitions by foreign and local authors, about twenty international groups of concept exhibitions and multimedia happenings, more than 150 concerts, and seventy theatrical performances (several were LAW productions) since its foundation. During the last three years, LAW has also produced a new theatre and performance festival, and has organized numerous lectures, symposiums, video and film programmes.