Lovrijenac fortress

The Lovrijenac fortress is also known as "Dubrovnik's Gibraltar" and it is believed that it was first constructed in the 11th century. According to the legend, the people of Dubrovnik built a fort here in the record time of just 3 months in order to forestall the Venetians who planned to build a fortress on the same spot, from which they could control the city. The present day fort was built in 14th century and was constantly reconstructed since. It has a triangular shape with three terraces. Lovrijenac rises on the reef 37 meters high. The thickness of walls facing the outside dangers reaches 12 meters and at the same time the part of the walls facing the city is only 60 cm thick.  To insure that the commander of the fort wouldn't be tempted to turn his guns towards the city and establish dictatorship, people of Dubrovnik selected new commander of the forth every month. Alive testimony to these events is an inscription "NON BENE PRO TOTO LIBERTAS VENDITUR AURO" – Freedom is not to be sold for all the treasures in the world placed above the gate of the two drawbridges that lead to the fort. Lovrijenac dominates the western land and sea approaches to the city and it played an important role in the defense of the city. Lately Lovrijenac has proven to be perfectly suitable as a cultural stage, particular for the performances of Shakespeare's "Hamlet", whose performance on Lovrijenac became a trademark of Dubrovnik summer festival.

The Libertas flag was the secondary flag of the Dubrovnik Republic, the so called civil flag

City Walls

One of the largest attractions of the city of Dubrovnik are definitely its medieval City walls that stretch continuously almost 2,000 meters. The parts of the walls towards the mainland are 4-6 meters thick, and towards the sea 1-3 meters. Through the centuries of its turbulent history, very little war was actually waged in Dubrovnik and the cannons from its forts stayed mostly silent. But, with the protection of strong forts and walls, freedom was more easily secured though a tribute in gold, paid to the great powers in those days. The walls’ construction began in the 11th century and all the way through the 17th century the walls were rebuilt and expanded. The city walls protect the area of the whole city and the old city port that was of great importance for the maritime Dubrovnik. The walls are secured on its four major points with strong fortifications. Strong support on the north part of walls was round shaped Minčeta fortress, old city port has been defended by the separated Ravelin fortress on the east, and a huge St. John fortress supported the south-east part of the walls and beautiful and strong fortress Bakar on the west part of the walls. The city walls are one of the symbols of its freedom and one of the largest and best preserved fortification systems in Europe.

Minčeta fortress

The monumental fortress of Minčeta is located on the northwestern part of the city. It was named so because it was constructed on the estate of family Menčetic from Dubrovnik. The round shaped fortress was built in 1464 in the place of a smaller fort from 1319, constructed by excellent architect Nichifor Ranjina. After the fall of Constantinople to the Turks in 1453 the people of Dubrovnik decided to strengthen the city fortifications and the invited one of the most famous architects of the period, Michelozzo Michellozzi from Florence. One of the most famous Croatian Renaissance architects Juraj Dalmatinac also took part in the construction of the fortress Minčeta. From the top of the fortress there is a spectacular view of Dubrovnik and its surroundings.

The Pile Gate

Stradun / Placa

Stradun, or Placa as it is coled by the local people, is known by being the biggest and the most famous city street in Dubrovnik as also being Dubrovnik favorite promenade. Stradun stretches from the Pila Gate all the way to Luža square and it's the shortest communication between the western and eastern City gate. This is also a place of every big local events and processions and also is a mercantile artery of old part of the City. Before the big earthquake in 1667 Stradun was dominated by the luxuriously furnished facade of the local palaces. After the earthquake, the city authorities focused on the reconstruction of the city fortifications and public buildings so that great extravagance was not encouraged. Because of that, the present facades facing Stradun look simple and very similar to one another, giving Stradun almost modest features. Stradun is rather wide street because once there was a channel here that separated the Croatian (in majority) and roman settlements. Stradun was created in the 10th and the 11th century by building earthworks over the channel connecting these two settlements and unavoidably mixing these two populations but giving a strong Croatian cultural accent to this newborn city. A walk through Stradun is an unavoidable part of sightseeing in Dubrovnik and shops and cafeterias all a long this unique street contribute to impression that all the life of the City is being held there.

Onofrio's fountain

The famous Italian architect from Naples, Onofrio della Cava built a fountain in 1438 which is today known as the large Onofrio's fountain, although it was heavily damaged in 1667 earthquake. The fountain is located in the center of a small square near the Franciscan monastery and the Pila Gate. In those days most of the cities in Dalmatia handled the problem of water supply by building rainwater tanks, but the people of Dubrovnik wanted fresh spring water in their city. Onofrio built an aqueduct that supplied water to the city from the spring Šumet in the mainland, 12 km distant. The larger Onofrio's fountain is circular in shape and at the same time it can serve as a water tank. The water flows from figures of 16 masked faces – "maskeroni". Small Onofrio's fountain is located on the opposite end of Stradun and it supplied water to the marketplace on Luža square.

Franciscian monastery

& Museum

San Salvadore's Church

Votive San Salvadore's Church (Church of St Spas) is placed between the Pila Gate and the Franciscan monastery. Decision to build the Church was made by Dubrovnik senate in 1520 as a token of gratefulness towards The Holly Good, after spearing the City of the ruthless earthquake.  Build by Korculas’ master Petar Andrijić in the period from 1520 to 1528, the church stayed undamaged in 1667 earthquake, so preserving its original appearance, the church is a true example of Dubrovnik renascence building. 

Rector's pallace

The Rector pallace is placed just next to the city hall and it is one of the most significant monument of the secular architecture not only in Dubrovnik but in on the entire Adriatic coast, built in mixture of gothic and renascence style. Today’s palace was build on the 13^th  (1272) century castellum – surrounded by four corner towers as a defense fort. In the 14^th century it vas reconstructed in to palace, modeled to look as Venetian palaces at the time. The palace received its present form (a single-storey building with four wings closing the courtyard - a portico with a small mezzanine floor gallery and a large floor gallery) in the mid-15th century during the reconstruction following the demolition of the old Rector's Palace in the gunpowder explosion in 1435. The new Rector's Palace was rebuilt in the late-Gothic style by Onofrio de la Cava, an architect from Naples who also built the waterworks and two public fountains in Dubrovnik (1435-1440) and the statue on the building is probably the work of Pietro di Martino, an architect and sculptor from Milan. After the building sustained another major damage in 1463, again caused by gunpowder explosion, and another one in the great fire of 1667 which ravaged the town, reconstruction of the Rector's Palace was led by two renowned artists: M. Michelozzo from Florence and Juraj Dalmatinac from Zadar. It seemed that maybe, to conservative, Great Council in 1464 refused Michelozzo’s ground plan because it was imagined to be too much of Renaissance style, so the palace was not rebuilt according to Michelozzo's design. Construction work then probably led the Florentine architect Salvi di Michele until 1467, and Dalmatian masters Radivoj Bogosalić and Nikola Marković chiseled biforas, while relief scene on the palace portal is Pavko Antojević  Bogićević masterpiece. After 1667 earthquake, palace’s interior was rebuild up until the end of the 17^th century in Gothic style with some Baroque elements. In the palace’s ground floor atrium there is the statue of Miho Pracat, a wealthy and renowned sailor from the island of Lopud made by P. Giacometti, a sculptor from Recanati. Due to leaving his savings to the Republic, he has been the only citizen whom the Dubrovnik Republic raised public monument. Together with the rector’s office and his private room’s palace, complex housed the state office, the notary's office, the law court, the gaol, the armory, the court guard and the small Council hall.

Dubrovnik Cathedral

The present Dubrovnik cathedral was built according to plans by Italian architect Buffalini from Urbino, and was completed in 1713. Before the renovation and recostruction in 1986 archeologists made a sensational discovery showing that the remains of another, even more ancient and previously unknown cathedral dating from the seventh century, are placed in the lower parts of the building. According to local legend, Richard the Lion Heart, on his return from a Crusade, was shipwrecked near Dubrovnik. In order to be spared his life, he vowed to give money for the building of a church. The church built with that money, later destroyed in a catastrophic earthquake, was according to this legend the foundation of today's Cathedral.

Sponza Pallace

All trade routes of Dubrovnik Republic went through this marvelous palace placed at far end of the Stradun, maybe the most beautiful in whole of Dubrovnik built with the purpose of being a custom's house. The Sponza Palace construction started in 1516 and has been build in late gothic and renaissance mixture style following the plans of Paskoje Miličević who also build the famous sacristy of the Dominican monastery. The atrium of the palace, formed with an arched gallery spreading all around, encircles once always busy commerce centre and the meeting place of the Old Dubrovnik Republic and beyond. Later on, by the end of the 16th century Sponza became the central cultural centre of the Dubrovnik Republic and in 1667 earthquake luckily left undamaged. The highly educated citizens of Dubrovnik, the members of the prestige club "The Academy of The Learned" met on regular basis in this palace and they led their discussions about Iiterature, arts and all the scientific achievements of their time. Today the Atrium of The Sponza Palace is an art gallery always exhibiting some interesting works from Dubrovnik present or past. Every year Sponzas terrace is also an opening point from where actors guide the Dubrovnik Summer festival.

Sign on arch of the Spnza’s atrium, on which just be a hanged scale point out the accuracy of the Dubrovnik’s measurement: FALLERE NOSTRA VETANT; ET FALLI PONDERA: MEQVE PONDERO CVM MERCES: PONDERA IPSE DEVS - Our weights don’t let to be cheated or deceived. When I measure goods I’ve been measured by God himself  

Orlando's column

In between the Sponza palace and the church of St Vlaho is located Orlando's column. This tall stone column with a flagpole is decorated with a sculpture of the legendary Medieval knight Orland (Roland). Although there are some legends about, how the legendary knight saved the city from the pirate attack, it is more likely that the statue was raised to honor the German emperor Sigmund who protected the city from Venetian aspirations in the 15th century. In those days, Orlando's columns were built in central European cities. Orlando's column, built by sculptor Bonino from Milan in 1418, also marked the beginning of the golden period of Ragusan History. Since it was built until the time Napoleon abolished the Republic, a flag of the Republic with an image of St Vlaho had flown from flagpole. The column was knocked down by strong wind in 1825, so it laid in storage for about 50 years. It is interesting to notice that the length of the statue's right elbow served as the official measure of length of cloth ("Dubrovacki lakat" – 51,2 cm). In modern times a white flag with 'Libertas' sign on, is flown from the Orlando's column during the two traditional events held in Dubrovnik, the fiesta of St Vlaho and Dubrovnik Summer festival, caring universal massage for respect for freedom.

Dominican monastery

& Museum

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 15^th 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: 15^th century Crucifixion by Paolo Veneciano, 15^th century Virgin Mary and St John by Lorenzo di Marino Dobričević, two 17^th century altarpieces by Francesco di Maria, 19^th 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 15^th and 17^th 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 14^th century tractate of St. Thomas Aquinas.

St Blaise Church

Baroque church of the Dubrovnik’s patron St Blais (St Vlaho), build on the place of the old Romanic church from 1368 that has been lost in a fire, gain its final shape in 1715. Sustained major damage in 1667 earthquake, but completely ruined in the one night fire in 1706, on request of Dubrovnik authorities was rebuild by Venetian architect and sculptor Marino Gropelli foloving the design of Venetian church of St Mauricius, but manage to remain some treasures from the previous church. It’s a central building with the oval dome in the center, big decorated portal and large staircase out front, with its rich baroque decorations stand out from the simple facades of the Piaca houses bringing vividness to this street. The golden statue of St Blaise holding a model of the Town from 15^th century is placed at the main altar, an it is one of the precious sculptures of the Dubrovnik art in general, maid by unknown sculptor from Dubrovnik school. Later on, due to this marvelous map held in the saints arms, the buildings crashed in the 1667 earthquake, were easily recognizable and the fact that a statue is considered to be miraculous is because  it survived the Church fire undamaged. The painted organ loft behind the high altar is work of Petar Mattel Matejević (early 18^th century) and the glass windows are work of Ivo Dulčić (1971). Stone walls statues of St Peter and St Jerome are made by Nikola Lazanid of Brač in late 16^th century.

City bell tower

City bell tower with a clock was built in 1444 by local masters Grubačević, Utišenović and Radonić, and with its 31 meter is together with fort Minčeta and Orlando statue one of the free city-state liberty symbols. Painted Sundial with two wooden jacks in the form of the soldiers that strike the hour (Maro and Baro) was work of Luka, the son of the admiral Miho Žugović. A few years later sundial were replaced by watch with numbers and famous wooden jacks were repaced by bronze ones as a faithful copy, all made by Dubrovnik's painter Matko Junčić. A famous founder Ivan Rabljanin's new bell from 1509 with printed text of Lampridij Crijević was damaged in 1667 earthquake, so when threaten to fall down, was replaced with faithful replica in 1929.

The Ploče Gate

Close to Ravelin fort placed outside the city walls two gates combines eastern entrance to the city. Outer gate of Ploče are placed just next to the fort Ravelin and was build in the mid-15^th century by Simeone della Cava. The smaller inner Gate of Ploče as a part of a defense city wall sheltered by the high Asimon fort (Fort of Ploče) is erected in Romanesque style. Wooden down bridge and twin-spanned stone bridge (15^th century) build by Paskoje Miličević are similar to those at Pila Gate. The statue of St Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik, also guards this City entrance.

St Ivan Fortress,

Maritime Museum

& Aqarium

On the eastern part of the city stands the monumental fortress of St Ivan. Its present form was gained in 16th century and its basic function was the protection of the city port and the sea approaches to Dubrovnik. A much older fort from the 14th century existed on the same spot. The fort was reconstructed by the famous Dubrovnik builder Paskoje Milicevic. Towards the sea, the fortress has smooth and slightly curved walls, while the part of the walls facing the port is smooth and vertical. Today the fortress houses the Maritime Museum that features a number of exhibits from Dubrovnik's rich maritime history. In the lower part of the fort there is an Aquarium with a rich collection of fish, shells, crabs and corals.

Lokrum

Lokrum is a small island, barely 700 m distant from the old Dubrovnik city port. The first written record of the island is dated from 1023, when a Benedictine monastery was built on the island. One of the islands most famous visitors was Richard the Lion Heart who was shipwrecked here on his return from the crusades in 1192. As a sign of gratitude he donated the funds for the construction of a church in Dubrovnik. Through the centuries different plants and herbs were collected on the island, a tradition started by the Benedictine monks. The Austrian archduke Maximillian Ferdinand built a luxurious residence on the island in 1859, on the ruins of the old Benedictine monastery. Near the residence he built a park with many exotic plants. Today Lokrum is a protected natural preserve that houses the Biological institute of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences and a natural history museum. As far back as medieval times Lokrum served as a popular resort for the people of Dubrovnik. One of its attractive sights is Dead Sea, a small lake connected to the sea. There is a spectacular view of the island and the city of Dubrovnik from the French fort, built in early 19th century .

Revelin fortress

The fortress of Revelin is located on the eastern side of the city close to the Ploce gate. The name is derived from the word "rivelino" which in the fortification architecture means “built along the city gate.” The older fort on this spot was built in 1462 as a separate fort that secured the eastern approaches to the city from the land. In the 16th century Dubrovnik came under increasing threat from Venice, so that a need arose for the strengthening of the old fort. The new fortress was designed by Antonio Ferramolina and was shaped as an irregular rectangle surrounded with a deep moat. The interior of the fortress is made out of three parts with a large terrace on the top. The fortress was built in short time because all the private and public construction in the city was diverted to assist with the construction of the fortress. The skill of its builder is reflected in the fact that Revelin wasn't harmed in the great earthquake that struck the city in 1667. Today many plays are held on the top of the fort during the Dubrovnik summer festival.