> Dominican monastery

Dubrovnik web directionary

Sights & Map >

 
 
     
 
 
     
 

Dominican monastery. In the eastern part of the city just along the city walls is placed maybe the biggest treasury of Dubrovnik cultural heritage. Dominican monastery, now houses the church, the cloister and the monastery along with its museum. Dominicans who founded the monastery in 1225 had built their monastery on strategically fragile spot in the first road of the defense of the city, so naturally in time the whole complex had been placed inside of the city walls and assume its final shape in 15th century. Plain interior of the Gothic church decorated with stone objects and stone pulpit opens to the sanctuary with two side chapels. Huge masterpieces collection of paintings is also exhibited within the church walls: 15th century Crucifixion by Paolo Veneciano, 15th century Virgin Mary and St John by Lorenzo di Marino Dobričević, two 17th century altarpieces by Francesco di Maria, 19th century Miracle of St Dominic by Vlaho Bukovac, one of the famous Croatia painters ever. Planted with orange trees with well in the middle, exceptionally beautiful arched porches of the cloister, were built (1483) in late Gothic style by local masters according to design of Maso di Bartolomeo de Florenc, while Sacristy was erected in 1485 by Paskoje Miličević. Although construction of the Bell Tower started in 1390 by Checo from Monopoli it wasn’t completed until the 1531, so the later baroque lantern followed the Romanesque stile. Invaluable collection of the monastery library, that used to be one of the biggest European libraries between 15th and 17th century, expands over 16 000 volumes, 240 incunabula and other important archives, among which are the oldest Latin translations of Avicenna’s works and a 14th century tractate of St. Thomas Aquinas.

 
     
   

<<   >>