This
post is based primarily on Don's notes, occasionally supplemented with MT's
notes from our cruise in 2019. When information from other sources is added—for
further explanation to readers or to satisfy our own curiosity—that is set off
in a text box (as this one).
Most
of the photos that accompany this post are from Don’s camera (with a caption
indicating the time it was taken); those from MT’s iPhone are indicated by “MT”
placed at the beginning of the photo caption. Photos from any other source (such
as the public domain Wikimedia Commons), occasionally used for clarification,
indicate that source in the caption.
After
the morning shore excursion “Dubrovnik by Land & Sea,” we got back on the Viking
Star around 1:15 and had a quick lunch in the World Café. At
this time we had to decide whether we
also wanted to go on the “Dubrovnik Walking Tour” (included) at 2 pm, on which
we had also reserved spaces.
The “Dubrovnik Land & Sea” excursion had met at 8:45 am and was advertised as lasting 4 hours. The “Sea” part was 9:15 to 10:08 and 12 noon to 12:59 pm (total of almost 2 hours). Of the “Land” part, lasting from 10:08 to 12 noon (just under 2 hours), of which only 10:08 to 11:00 am (less than 1 hour) was with the guide. So we decided to also do the “Dubrovnik Walking Tour” in the afternoon, which we had also reserved, just in case.
Because we did two shore excursions on the same day, we have divided the material into two blog posts of more manageable size, this being the second one, following the first one called “2 Aug 19 Dubrovnik, Croatia AM.” Another reason is that the two excursions involved seeing some different things and also some of the same things but in different sequence and different contexts. However, to make this second post more complete in itself, we have repeated some of the explanatory text boxes from the first post.
Dubrovnik (pop. 42,615). our second stop in Croatia, is at the extreme southern
tip of Croatia. Nicknamed “Pearl of the Adriatic,” it is one of the most
prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea. Known historically in
Latin as Ragusa, it was the capital of the maritime Republic of Ragusa, and
achieved a high level of development, particularly in the 15th and 16th
centuries. The name Ragusa was first recorded in the 10th century in a document
(c. 950) indicating it was founded in the 7th century, while the name Dubrovnik
was first recorded in 1198. The two names coexisted for several centuries, but
Dubrovnik was in widespread use by the late 16th or early 17th century,
although the Republic of Ragusa existed until 1808.
After the
fall of the Ostrogothic Kingdom in 553, the town came under the protection of
the Byzantine Empire. In the 12th and 13th centuries, Dubrovnik became a true
oligarchic republic (ruled by the local aristocracy), becoming a commercial
outpost for the rising and prosperous Serbian state. After the Crusades,
Dubrovnik came under the sovereignty of Venice (1205-1358). In 1358, Dubrovnik
achieved relative independence as a vassal-state of the Kingdom of Hungary. From
the 14th century until 1808, Dubrovnik ruled itself as a free state (Republic
of Ragusa), which reached its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries.
Engraving of Dubrovnik, from south, before the earthquake of 1667 (By Georg
Kowalczyk; Fotografie, Scan and postprocessing by Hubertl - Denkmäler der Kunst
in Dalmatien, Herausgegeben von Georg Kowalczyk, mit einer Einleitung von
Cornelius Gurlitt., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29817413).
Dubrovnik: aerial view, from south, of walled Old City, with Pile Harbor
outside wall at left and Old Port at right (By dronepicr - Old Port and
historical center of Dubrovnik, Croatia, a view from the south, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=82205200).
Dubrovnik is now well known as the filming location of TV’s “Game of Thrones,” portraying Kings Landing, the capital city of the Seven Kingdoms; there are 19 specific filming locations in the city. It also served as “Nottingham” in a recent Robin Hood movie.
Viking Map of Dubrovnik; Key [of places we
would see]: 2 = Pile Gate, 3 = Stradun, 4 = Dominican Monastery, 5 = Jesuit
Monastery, 7 = Serbian Orthodox Church and Icon Museum, 8 = Revelin Fortress, 9
= Sponza Palace, 10 = Church of St. Blaise, 11 = [Large] Onofrio’s Fountain, 13
= Dubrovnik Castle ([Fort] Lovrijenac), 14 = Franciscan Monastery and Museum,
15 = Cathedral of the Assumption, 16 = Rector’s Palace, 17 = Orlando Column, 20
= St. John Fortress, 21 = Fort Bokar.
The last available Dubrovnik Walking Tour began at 2 pm (there had been 3 earlier times in the morning). Our cruise book described this 4-hour tour:
“A
Tour Through Paradise on Earth. See Dubrovnik, one of the world’s most
beautifully preserved medieval cities, on this rewarding walking excursion.
George Bernard Shaw famously called it ‘paradise on earth.’ One way to
appreciate his appraisal is from above, so you will join your local guide for a
panoramic drive to an overlook, where magnificent views of the red-roofed stone
city and azure coastline await. Witness the city’s cobblestone Old Town on foot
through the Pile Gate. Follow the Stradun—the marbled main pedestrian way that gleams
from centuries of footsteps—to the Dominican Monastery, where you can view a
fine collection of Renaissance paintings. You will also pass the Sponza Palace,
the Church of St. Blaise and the 15th-century Onofrio’s Fountain. You will have
free time to explore on your own before returning to your ship.”
As advertised, the excursion began with a “panoramic drive to an overlook.” However, this was disappointing, since we had only brief glimpses from the bus windows of the Old Town between trees from on a higher road. Some of these would indeed have been “magnificent views of the red-roofed stone city,” but there was no place for the bus to pull off the road. When the bus was finally able to stop for photos, we could barely see the city in the distance (only visible with a strong telephoto).
MT Friday, August 2, 2019, 2:29 PM – Dubrovnik: view from “overlook” of
city in distance.
MT 2:29 PM – Dubrovnik: view from “overlook” of
city in distance (telephoto 80 mm).
2:35 PM – Dubrovnik: view from “overlook” of city;
walled Old Town in foreground, with bell tower in Luža Square and Old Port just
before trees (telephoto 156 mm).
2:54 PM – Dubrovnik: view through bus window on
drive back down.
2:54 PM – Dubrovnik: brief view of city through
bus window on drive back down (man in front seat may have got a decent photo).
On the way back down, we actually got to see the Minčeta Tower from the north side.
2:58 PM – Dubrovnik: finally, a decent view of
view of Minčeta Tower through bus window on drive back down.
On the way to the bus stop near the Pile Gate, we finally got to see the Bokar Fortress.
3:05 PM – Dubrovnik: Bokar Fortress, with kayaks
near arch where sea passes beneath the fortress.
The Bokar Fortress
(Croatian: Tvrđava Bokar) was built in 1461-63 to defend the town’s main
western entrance, the Pile Gate, with its bridge and moat. The semicircular
casemate fortress is the oldest of that kind in Europe. The fortress projected
in front of the city wall, with one part of it standing on a detached rock;
arched supports were made to bridge the gap, and the sea still passes beneath that
part of the fortress. The fortress received a roof in 1555 and was upgraded to
its present state in 1570.
After the bus dropped us off near the Pile Gate, we saw a portion of the western city wall with a statue of St. Blaise in a niche.
Dubrovnik: western city
wall, just north of Pile Gate, with statue of St. Blaise (By János Tamás -
Dubrovnik, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18537522).
Dubrovnik: western city wall,
just north of Pile Gate, with statue of St. Blaise, seated (By Photo: Marcin
Konsek / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curi=37030935).
3:06 PM – Dubrovnik: city wall, near Pile Gate,
with statue of St. Blaise, seated (telephoto 93 mm).
3:06 PM (Cropped) – Dubrovnik: city wall, near Pile
Gate, with statue of St. Blaise, seated, with a model of the city in his left
hand (telephoto 156 mm).
3:06 PM – Dubrovnik: view, from outside the wall near
Pile Gate, of Fortress of St. Lawrence on other side of Pile Harbor.
Pile (pronounced
PEE-lay) is a small but busy suburb of Dubrovnik, situated in front of the Pile
Gate, the main entrance on the west side of the walled Old Town. The name Pile
is derived from the Greek word pylaj, meaning “gate.” It is the home of
a popular bus station and taxi stop, as well as Pile Harbor for fishing boats,
and is an important transportation hub for the whole city. Fort Lovrijenac (St.
Lawrence) is considered part of the Pile area.
3:07 PM – Dubrovnik: view, from bus stop outside
the wall near Pile Gate, toward Minčeta Tower.
3:08 PM – Dubrovnik: view, from bus stop outside the wall near Pile Gate, of Minčeta Tower (telephoto 72 mm).
Dubrovnik: Minčeta Tower in
morning sun (By Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada - Croatia-01550 - Minčeta
Tower in the Morning, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66934491).
To the left of the St. Savior
Church, a steep stairway leads up to the imposing Minčeta Tower (Croatian:
Tvrđava Minčeta). The tower, the highest point of the Dubrovnik defensive
system, is a strong fortress located at the west end of the north city wall,
facing toward the land. The name derives from the Menčetić family, who owned
the ground the tower was built upon. It is a large, round fort with a massive
base in the form of a huge covered outer wall, The fort is topped with a great
Gothic crown that is of negligible strategic importance and is more decorative
in nature. The fort was originally built in 1319 as a high-reaching
quadrilateral fort and served that function for over 100 years. However, after
the fall of Constantinople to the Ottoman Empire (Turks) in 1453, there was
much debate about reinforcing this important fort, and the Dubrovnik Republic
enlisted a famous architect Michelozzo from Florence. Around the earlier quadrilateral
fort, he built a new round tower adapted to the new technique of warfare and
joined it to a new system of low scarp walls. The walls of the new tower were 6
m thick and had a series of protected gun ports. The building started in 1461.
In 1464, Michelozzo left Dubrovnik, offended when his plans for the
reconstruction of the Rector’s Palace were rejected. Another architect, from
Zadar, built the bottom of the fortress and gave it its recognizable overhead
part. When completed in 1464, the tower became the symbol of the unconquerable
city of Dubrovnik.
3:08 PM – Dubrovnik: bridge leading to Pile Gate;
MT close behind our guide with red “paddle” for “Viking Star 33” tour group on
right side of bridge.
The Pile Gate (Croatian:
[Gradska] Vrate Pile) was built in the 14th century by Ivan of Siena. The name Pile
is derived from the Greek word pylaj, meaning gate. Today, it is the
main entrance from the west into the Old Town and the main street Stradun.
There are the Outer City Gate and the Inner City Gate. The gates are a
well-fortified complex with multiple doors, defended by Fort Bokar and a moat
that ran around the outside of the city walls. The Pile Gate was used as a
filming location for “Game of Thrones.”
The Outer City Gate was built in
1537 with a Renaissance arch on the outer side of a semicircular fortification
also built in the 16th-century. During the time of the Dubrovnik Republic, it
used to have a wooden drawbridge that was pulled up at night to prevent
unwelcome guests from entering the medieval walled city. The first stone
bridge, built in 1397, had only one arch. In 1471, the moat was widened, and a
new stone bridge with three arches was built, according to a design of Paskoje Miličević.
In 1533-37, the first bridge arch was demolished, and the gate was remade into
the form seen today. The beautiful
stone bridge crosses the former moat (now a grassy area) in order to enter the
Outer Gate. However, the stone bridge still connects with a smaller, wooden
drawbridge that now always remains open to visitors. In a niche above the
Renaissance arch of the Outer Gate is a statue of St. Blaise with a model of
the city in his left hand.
After passing
through the Outer Gate, you can take either stairs or a ramp down to the Inner City Gate, which was
built in the Gothic style in 1460. Its double doors lead through the main city
wall. Again, it is topped by a statue of St. Blaise, this one by the leading
Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović (1883-1962). As you pass through the Gothic arch,
you will be looking ahead onto the Placa, commonly known as Stradun,
Dubrovnik’s pedestrian promenade.
3:08 PM – Dubrovnik: Outer Pile Gate with statue
of St. Blaise above the arch; visible through the arch are a red banner saying
“Respect the City” in English and Croatian, another statue of St. Blaise on the
Inner Pile Gate, and a column that stands at one end of the balustrade between
the two gates.
3:08 PM – Dubrovnik: statue of St. Blaise above
Outer Pile Gate; also visible through the arch is another statue of St. Blaise
on the Inner Pile Gate (telephoto 119 mm).
3:08 PM – Dubrovnik: statue of St. Blaise above
Outer Pile Gate (telephoto 156 mm).
3:09 PM – Dubrovnik: Pile Gate - view to north from
the top of the ramp between outer and inner gates, with pillar at other end of
balustrade and inner (flat) city wall at right; our guide with red “paddle” for
“Viking Star 33” tour group in right foreground.
3:09 PM – Dubrovnik: view, from balustrade at top
of ramp, of other tourists taking the alternate route down steps to the Inner
Pile Gate with a statue of St. Blaise above it; the sign on a pole in front of
the gate has symbols directing pedestrians to stay on the right as they pass
through the narrow gate and not enter on the left.
3:09 PM – Dubrovnik: statue of St. Blaise above
Inner Pile Gate (telephoto 119 mm).
Our tour group took the ramp down to the Inner Pile Gate.
On the ramp
leading from the Outer Pile Gate down to the Inner Pile Gate are orientation maps and a code of conduct for the Old Town. The web site https://www.dubrovnik-travel.net/pile-gate/
says it is a good idea to take a photo of this for
later reference.
3:11 PM – Dubrovnik: our guide, using his red
“paddle” for “Viking Star 33” tour group to point out the “City map Dubrovnik
old town” on the wall where the ramp doubled back toward the Inner Pile Gate; partly
visible at the right was a less useful city map showing sites damaged by shelling
by Yugoslav Army, Serbs, and Montenegrins in 1991-92, and to the left (out of
photo) was a sign with rules about things not permitted in the city (telephoto
72 mm).
Dubrovnik: Sign with map of “Grad Dubrovnik” (City of Dubrovnik), with symbols
for sites damaged by shelling by Yugoslav Army, Serbs, and Montenegrins in
1991-92; black triangle for “Roof damaged by direct impact,” red rectangle for
“Facility burned by fire,” white triangle for “Roof damaged by shrapnel,” and
black circle for “Direct impact in the pavement” (By Joy - Transferred from
en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19529708).
Through the Inner Pile Gate, we emerged into Paskoje Miličević Square, with the Large Onofrio’s Fountain.
3:12 PM – Dubrovnik: people filling water bottles
from Large Onofrio’s Fountain.
The Large Onofrio’s Fountain
(Croatian: Velika Onofrijeva Fontana), built in 1438-40, is located near the
western entrance into the Old Town. To guard against the plague, visitors to
the city had to wash themselves here before they were allowed to enter.
Originally, the circular fountain topped by a bulbous dome was richly decorated
with sculptures but was badly damaged in the earthquake of 1667. Only 16 carved
stone masks remain, with spouts in their mouths dribbling drinkable water into
a 16-sided drainage basin. A statue of a dog that adorns the top wall around
the fountain is a replica installed in 2016. So today’s appearance is
noticeably more humble than that of 500 years ago.
3:12 PM (Cropped) – Dubrovnik: Large Onofrio’s
Fountain - head of dog statue visible on top of fountain wall (see red circle).
Dubrovnik: dog statue on top
of wall of Large Onofrio’s Fountain (By Richard Mortel at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Onofrio_Fountain%2C_Dubrovnik%2C_1438_%281%29_%2830115264576%29.jpg).
The stone statue of a sitting dog called “Kučak” (the traditional word for dog in Dubrovnik), on the side of the fountain facing the St. Savior Church, represents a guardian and protector of the values of the Dubrovnik Republic. The domed fountain was originally decorated with many sculptures, and various animals adorned the top of the wall around the fountain when it was completed in the 15th century. The statue of the dog remained in place even after the Great Earthquake that badly damaged the Old Town and the fountain in 1667. In the early 19th century, however, it fell from its perch and cracked for no obvious reason. The damaged original is now in a museum, but a replica was replaced in its rightful position on the fountain in 2016.
3:13 PM – Dubrovnik: Paskoje Miličević Square,
with St. Savior Church (left), Franciscan Monastery and Church down Stradun
street, and Large Onofrio’s Fountain (right).
The St. Savior Church
(Croatian: Crkva svetog Spasa), between the Pile Gate and the Franciscan
Monastery and facing the Large Onofrio’s Fountain on Poljana Paskoje Miličević square,
is a small votive church dedicated to Jesus Christ. The church was commissioned
by decision of the Dubrovnik Senate in 1520, shortly after an earthquake, to
please God and thank the Savior for sparing the city from greater damage. A
monumental inscription above the main entrance on the façade testifies to this.
The church was built in 1520-28. The church was not damaged in the great earthquake
of 1667 and hence remains in its original form. The church has a single nave
with a Gothic cross-ribbed vault, and side windows are also Gothic with pointed
arches. Nevertheless, it is a good example of early Renaissance architecture that
dominated Dubrovnik prior to rebuilding after 1667. The façade contains
prominent Renaissance elements both on the portal and the three-leaf
semicircular (trefoil) roofline at the top of the façade. In addition, the
proportions of the building and semicircular apse reveal a Renaissance style.
The Franciscan Monastery
(Croatian: Franjevački samostan) complex is situated at the west end of Placa
(aka Stradun) street, near the Pile Gate and St. Savior Church. The lateral
façade (south wall) of the monastery runs along the principal street of
Dubrovnik, and the monastery spreads north along the city walls as far as the
Minčeta Tower. The Franciscan order arrived in Dubrovnik around 1234 and built
its first monastery (Franciscan Monastery of St. Thomas) in the 13th century in
the Pile area, outside the city wall. However, when the city was threatened by
war in 1317, the decision was made to demolish that monastery, to prevent its
use by an enemy besieging the city. In case the enemy managed to enter the
city, the monks would be the first to defend it because they were unmarried an
therefore had no wives or children. The new monastery (Friars Minor Monastery)
inside the city walls, near the Pile Gate, was constructed in the same year in
a transitional Romanesque-Gothic style, but work on it continued for centuries.
The large Franciscan Church (Croatian:
Franjevačka Crkva) had been one of the richest churches in Dubrovnik before it
was destroyed in the great earthquake of 1667. The only element of the former
building that has been preserved is the decorated portal on the south wall
overlooking the west end of the Stradun. It was sculpted in 1498 in Gothic
style. It was probably moved from the front to the lateral wall in the course
of restoration in the 17th century. The portal has all the marks of the Gothic
style, but the solid volumes of the figures show the Renaissance spirit. The
figures of St. Jerome (holding a model of the pre-earthquake church) and St. John
the Baptist are set above the door posts, while the almost life-sized Pietà in
relief is represented in the central Gothic lunette. The figure of the Father
Creator is above the lunette. The original Gothic top of the bell tower was
lost during the earthquake and replaced with an octagonal cupola. The church
was reconstructed in the Baroque style. Historically, this was the house of
worship for Dubrovnik’s poor people, while the Dominican Church (at the far
east end of the Stradun) was for the wealthy. Services were staggered by 15
minutes to allow servants to drop off their masters there and then rush up the
Stradun for their own service here.
Dubrovnik: view of Stradun street from Franciscan Monastery (left foreground)
straight eastward to bell tower in Luža
Square (By Dennis Jarvis from Halifax, Canada - Croatia-01556 - Stradun Street,
CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=66934512).
The Stradun, officially called Placa, is the main street of the Old Town, dividing the city into northern and southern halves. At the same time, it is the shortest route between the eastern and western city gates, about 300 m (1,000 ft). When Dubrovnik was just getting started in the 7th century, this street was a canal. Romans and Greeks fleeing from invading Croatian-Slavs lived on the island of Ragusa (or Lave), and the Slavs settled on the shore. In the late 11th century, the shallow canal separating Ragusa from the mainland was filled in, and the towns merged. The small Roman-Greek group intermixed with the Croatian-Slave people, and in the 12th century Dubrovnik was a Croatian-Slav city. From the 14th century, the Croatian element was completely dominant. While originally more disorderly, this street was rebuilt in its current, straighter form after the 1667 earthquake. The Placa street was paved in 1468. The limestone pavement has been polished by use over the centuries.
The name Placa
is derived from the Greek and Latin “Platea,” which can be translated as
“street.” The other name, Stradun, is a Venetian sobriquet used
ironically in the sense of “big street.”
The Stradun
was featured in the Walk of Penance in TV’s “Game of Thrones.”
3:13 PM – Dubrovnik: St. Savior Church – façade,
with part of Franciscan Monastery at right; people going up steps at left to
walk the top of city wall, with Minčeta Tower in distant background (mild
telephoto 44 mm).
3:13 PM – Dubrovnik: inside of Inner Pile Gate
(left) and St. Savior Church façade, with part of Franciscan Monastery at
right; between the gate and the church, people going up steps to walk the top
of city wall, with Minčeta Tower in distant background (mild telephoto 44 mm).
3:16 PM – Dubrovnik: our guide starting to lead
group eastward on narrow Ulica Od Puča street parallel to Stradun; street lamp
at right says “Zlato Srebro Zlatarna Rubin” (Gold Silver Jewelry Ruby); MT in
street in near foreground.
Our guide explained that shops can
only advertise on the lamps.
Ulica od Puča (Street of Wells)
is full of small shops and tradesman’s workrooms such as leather shops,
handmade souvenir shops, and jewelers. The street connects. The street connects
Paskoje Miličević Square with Gundulić Square. The name of the street comes
from the Slavic word puč, which means “well” or “cistern.” Scattered
along this street were many wells (water tanks) that collected rainwater.
3:17 PM – Dubrovnik: street sign for “Ulica
Zlatarićeva” off to right (south).
The Ulica Zlatarićeva, also
known as Ulica Dinka Dominika Zlaterića, runs south from the Stradun, opposite
the Franciscan Monastery, crosses Ulica Od Puča, and ends behind the Church of
St. Roch (Croatian: Crkva sv. Roku). Although one might assume that the name of
the street has something to do with Zlato (gold) or Zlatarna (jewelry), it is
actually named for the Renaissance poet and translator Dominiko (“Dinko”)
Zlatarić. On this street, graffiti from 1597 remains inscribed in stone on the east
wall of the Church of St. Roch, hand-engraved by an unknown tenant of the street
(some say a priest) who, frustrated with children playing ball up against the church
walls, scrawled in Latin: “PAX. VOBIS[CUM]. MEMENTO MORI QVI LVDETIS PILLA
1597” (Peace be with you, remember you are going to die, you who play ball 1597).
Dominiko (“Dinko”) Zlatarić (1558-1613) was a
Croatian Renaissance poet and translator from Dubrovnik in the Republic of
Ragusa. He was born to the old noble Croatian family, the House of Zlatarić (from
zlatar meaning goldsmith). He wrote in Croatian and Italian and was
renowned as the best translator of the Croatian Renaissance, translating
literature into Croatian from several foreign languages, including Greek,
Latin, and Italian.
3:17 PM – Dubrovnik: looking south on Ulica Zlataričeva
– our guide explaining the purpose of the stone outcroppings on the wall at
left; east wall of Church of St. Roch at right.
Our guide explained that this
street had many apartments with stairs so narrow that people had to get large
items upstairs by placing a rod in the round holes in brackets above the
windows and hauling the items up with ropes. The brackets below the windows were
for flower boxes.
3:18 PM –
Dubrovnik: Ulica Zlataričeva – stone brackets above and below upper-floor
windows.
3:21 PM – Dubrovnik: Ulica Zlataričeva – our guide
showing us the inscription on the east wall of the Church of St. Roch (mild
telephoto 38 mm).
3:21 PM (Cropped) – Dubrovnik: Ulica Zlataričeva –
inscription on the east wall of the Church of St. Roch in Latin: “PAX.
VOBIS[CUM]. MEMENTO MORI QVI LVDETIS PILLA 1597” (Peace be with you, remember
you are going to die, you who play ball 1597) (mild telephoto 38 mm).
3:23 PM – Dubrovnik: Ulica Od Puča - Ivo Grbić Art
gallery exterior with photos of the building burning on “6.XII.1991” and the
owner, wrapped in a blanket and raising his fist defiantly, outside the
building on that day; the English portion of the sign in several languages beside
the door at the right says: “Freedom is not for sale for all the treasure in
this world.”
Ivo Grbić is a Croatian
artist, born in Dubrovnik 1931. In addition to paintings and graphics, he works
with ceramics and small plastic (medals and plaques). He has produced many
posters dealing with music, old Dubrovnik, folklore, the sea, and the Dubrovnik
Summer Festival. In the Serbian-Montenegrin attack on Dubrovnik on December 6, 1991,
the palace in which he lived and worked burned down, along with many of his
works. Later, on the outer walls of the palace (Ivo Grbić Art gallery, at Ulica
Od Puča 16), he placed more exhibitions of his works, as well as photos and
documents about what happened here in 1991.
3:25 PM – Dubrovnik: Ulica Od Puča – another shop
with “Game of Thrones Official Licensed Merchandise.”
3:25 PM – Dubrovnik: Church of the Holy
Annunciation – façade, at Ulica Od Puča 8.
The Church of the Holy
Annunciation (Croatian: Crkva sv. Blagovještenja), sometimes called the
Orthodox Church, is a Serbian Orthodox church built in ornamental Neo-Byzantine
style and oriented toward Ulica Od Puča street. It was built on the site
previously occupied by an old dilapidated palace that had belonged to
aristocratic families, the most famous being the Gundulić family. Construction
began in 1868, and the church was consecrated in 1877. However, final work on
the building continued into the 20th century. The Church is a single-nave
structure with a semicircular apse and two octagonal belfries. It suffered
damage from bombing by the Yugoslav People’s Army during the Siege of Dubrovnik
in 1991-92. It was restored in 2009 using funds provided by the Croatian
government and the City of Dubrovnik.
In 1907, the Orthodox church also
purchased the neighboring Bundic palace, which it turned into the Museum of
Icons, a valuable collection of icons, some dating from the 15th and 16th
centuries.
3:28 PM – Dubrovnik: view, from corner of Gundulić Square and Ulica Od Puča, to
south on Ulica Jezuite toward Jesuit Staircase leading up to Jesuit College;
street lamps on right are for “Restaurant Café Royal, the Pucić Palace.”
The Café Royal restaurant is
part of the Pucić Palace Hotel, located at Ulica Od Puča 1. It is housed
in an 17th-century Baroque palace, once the home of Dubrovnik’s aristocratic
Pucić family, known for their political work and their love of art. In 1895, the
palace began to serve as a hotel, then called Hotel De la Ville.
3:28 PM – Dubrovnik: view, from corner of Ulica Od
Puča, to south onto Gundulić Square with
bronze statue of Ivan Gundulić; cupola
of Cathedral (under renovation) in left background and umbrellas of Café Royal
to right of statue.
Gundulić
Square (Croatian: Gundulićeva Poljana) is the only
open-air market inside the Old Town. It is located to the south of the Stradun,
just behind the Cathedral. Once the place where all residents of the Old Town
went grocery shopping, it gradually became a tourist stop, where one can buy
authentic Dubrovnik products. It contains a bronze statue, from 1892 (unveiled
in 1893), of the poet Ivan Gundulić in a dramatic pose with a pen or quill in
his right hand. On the monument’s pedestal are bronze reliefs depicting scenes
from Gundulić’s famous poem Osman.
Dubrovnik:
Official unveiling of Ivan Gundulić monument in 1893 (By Anonymous - foto
archivo estado ragusa, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8892737).
Dubrovnik:
Gundulić Square - statue of Ivan Gundulić (By Miomir
Magdevski, Own work at https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Ivan_Gunduli%C4%87_-_monument_in_Dubrovnik.jpg).
Gianfrancisco Gondola (1589-1638), better known as Ivan Franov Gundulić, was the most prominent Croatian Baroque poet from the Republic of Ragusa. His major works—the epic poem Osman, the pastoral play Dubravka, and the religious poem Suze sina razmetnoga (Tears of the Prodigal Son)—are examples of Baroque stylistic richness and, frequently, rhetorical excess. In his greatest work, Osman, he presented the contrasts between Christianity and Islam, Europe and the Turks, West and East, and what he viewed as freedom and slavery. His works had an overwhelming impact of the final standardization of the Croatian language.
Gundulić
was born in Dubrovnik into wealthy
Ragusan noble family (the House of Gundulić) and received an excellent
education. After studying the humanities, philosophy, Roman law, and jurisprudence
in general, he held numerous offices for the Great Council (Veliko vieće) of
the Republic. In 1608, at the age of 19, he became a member of the Great
Council; twice, in 1615 and 1619, he held the temporary function of Rector
(Croatian: Knež) of Konavle, an area southeast of the city. In 1636, he became
a senator, in 1637 a judge, and in 1638 a member of the Small Council (Malo
vieće). Had he lived longer, he probably would have been elected Rector of the
Dubrovnik Republic. (His father had been Rector five times, and his son would
hold the office four times.)
3:34 PM – Dubrovnik: Cathedral – façade with statue of St. Blaise in niche on near corner.
The Cathedral of the Assumption (Croatian: Katedrala Marijina Uznesenja), also known as Cathedral of Our
Lady (Croatian: Katedrala Velike Gospe), is the seat of the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Dubrovnik. It was built on the site of several earlier cathedrals,
including 7th-, 10th-, and 11th-centurty buildings and their 12th-century
Romanesque successor. The money for building the Romanesque basilica was
partially contributed by the English King Richard the Lionhearted, as a
memorial for having survived a shipwreck near the nearby island of Lokrum on
his return from the Third Crusade (1189-1192). He vowed to build a great church
on the spot where his life had been saved, but the Dubrovnik leaders convinced
him it would be much better to build the church in Dubrovnik itself. After that
building was largely destroyed in the earthquake of 1667, the Senate of
Dubrovnik engaged Italian architects, who designed a new church in Baroque
style with a nave and two aisles and a cupola. The style was in keeping with
the esthetics of Roman Baroque architecture of the 17th century. In 1672, the
Senate decreed that “the façade should be turned toward the east”, as opposed
previous Romanesque cathedral should have the sanctuary on the east and the
main façade on the west, following the norm in the Middle Ages; its façade had
been oriented toward a small square (Bunićeva poljana). The reorientation of
the Baroque cathedral arose from a new sensibility of space, because the extent
of destruction on the east side was such that it enabled the formation of a
wider square, Poljana Marina Držića (Marin Držić Square) that opened toward the
Rector’s Palace on Ulica Pred Dvorom street, which connected with the port. Construction
began in 1673 and was finished in 1713. The building was damaged by an
earthquake in 1979, requiring several year of repairs. Then it was damaged by
at least one shell during the Siege of Dubrovnik in 1991. The damage has since
been repaired.
The main portal
of the façade is flanked by four Corinthian columns. On top of the central part
is a large Baroque window with a triangular gable and a balustrade with statues
of saints. The deep niches in the façade contain statues of St. Blaise (patron
saint of Dubrovnik) and St. Joseph with Child, The lateral sides of the
cathedral are rather plain, articulated by pillars and semicircular windows.
3:34 PM – Dubrovnik: Cathedral – lower part of façade with statues of St. Joseph and Child in niche
on left corner and of St. Blaise on right corner.
3:34 PM – Dubrovnik: Cathedral – façade (vertical) with triangular gable at top.
3:35 PM – Dubrovnik: Cathedral – statue of St. Blaise in niche on right side of façade
(telephoto 81 mm).
When we headed from the Cathedral toward the Old Port, we passed through the Ponta Gate (south of the Arsenal) rather than the Fishmarket Gate (north of the Arsenal) we had used in the morning. The inner side of this gate was just off the north end of Marin Držić Square in front of the Cathedral, by the south end of the Rector’s Palace.
3:35 PM – Dubrovnik: our guide showing us the inner entrance to Ponta Gate, with rounded arch,
that led to the Old Port; MT near the guide; south end of Rector’s Palace at
left.
There are two entrances to the Old
Town from the Old Port area: the Fishmarket Gate situated on the north side of
the Arsenal and the Ponta Gate on the south side of the Arsenal.
Dubrovnik: view of Cathedral
through inner entrance of Ponta Gate (By Hedwig Storch - Own work, CC BY-SA
3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5152705).
To the south of the Arsenal, you can enter or exit the walls through the Ponta Gate or Ponte Gate (Croatian: Vrata od Ponte), next to the Rector’s Palace. Ponta means “pier” or “port” in Croatian. The gate was built in 1476, and the city wall built in the same period leads from it to the Fortress of St. John. During medieval and Renaissance times, Dubrovnik had only four gates leading into its fortified city walls. Perhaps the least elaborate was the Ponta Gate; it does not have a statue of St. Blaise.
3:36 PM – Dubrovnik: our tour group emerging from outer side of Ponta Gate, with more ornate
rounded arch, to the south of the Arsenal.
3:37 PM – Dubrovnik: our tour group emerging onto stone pier just outside of Ponta Gate;
across the water are the Revelin Fortress (behind man’s head at left), the
Lazarettos (quarantine) complex (center, left of umbrella), and corner of Fortress
of St. John (right).
MT 3:30 PM – Dubrovnik: our tour group emerging onto stone pier just outside of Ponta Gate;
across the water are the Revelin Fortress (left) and the Lazarettos
(quarantine) complex (center, left of umbrella) (mild telephoto 36 mm).
Dubrovnik: Lazarettos (By Lasta - own pictures, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6071283).
To the east of the Arsenal across the Old Port is the Lazarettos (Venetian term meaning quarantine station; Croatian: Lazareti) complex—the oldest quarantine structure in Europe. At the time when numerous epidemics, above all the plague, were spreading in the 14th and 15th centuries, the Dubrovnik Republic took strict measures. The period also saw a boom in trade, and many caravans, particularly from Turkey, came to the city, as did many ships from all over the world. Dubrovnik was one of the first places in the world to introduce a quarantine system as a protective measure against infectious diseases. Originally, the quarantine settlements—first built in 1377—were on nearby uninhabited islands. At the end of the 16th century, a row of houses, known as the Lazarettos, was built 300 m outside the city walls to the east of town as a quarantine facility. Travelers from “suspicious lands” arriving here, along with their goods, were kept in isolation for a period of 40 days (the origin of the term quarantine, from Italian quaranta, meaning forty). The complex was built in stages between 1590 and 1642. The Lazarettos, consisting of 10 buildings (of which 8 are preserved) and five courtyards, were renovated in 1623 from the sea side in order to enable landing of larger boats. Each courtyard had a door facing the sea, which was used to unload goods from the ships. The complex included large warehouses for goods and livestock, as well as lodgings for the extended stay of merchants and travelers. With the construction of the Lazarettos, epidemics were significantly suppressed. After the fall of the Dubrovnik Republic in 1808, the Lazarettos were used for quarantine of merchants coming to Dubrovnik from the inner-Balkans, and later for military purposes. The Lazarettos were damaged by fire in the second half of the 19th century and again at the end of WWI. Following renovation, the arcades in the courtyards and the gates facing the sea were bricked up. Today, the Lazarettos serve a number of purposes, such as recreation, trade, and entertainment.
3:37 PM – Dubrovnik: our tour group on stone pier just outside of Ponta Gate; across the water
are the Lazarettos (quarantine) complex (left of umbrella) and more of Fortress
of St. John (right).
3:37 PM – Dubrovnik: view to north, from stone pier just outside of Ponta Gate, to Arsenal
(with three arches), tower of Dominican Monastery, and Fortress of St.
Luke (by this time the cloud engulfing the top of Srđ hill seems to have moved
away).
3:40 PM – Dubrovnik: MT following our guide toward Fishmarket Gate, with bell tower of Luža Square
behind city wall.
The Fishmarket Gate
(Croatian: Vrata od Ribarnice), is also known as the Ribarnica Gate . Built
in Gothic style from 1381-87, it is located north of the great Arsenal and at
the east end of the main street Stradun. It is called the Fishmarket Gate
because the gate led to the city’s fish market. At the time it was built, it
was the largest city gate and was also called the Great Gate (Croatian: Velikim
vratima; Italian: Porta Grande). Over the gate is a statue of St. Blaise in a
niche in the wall.
Ribarnica is also the name of a
street. The address of the Old Port (ferry port) is Ribarnica Ulica 1. One of
the fortresses protecting the city harbor was the Ribarnica (fish hall or fish
market), probably built in the 13th century and demolished in 1853.
3:40 PM – Dubrovnik: our guide leading the tour group toward Fishmarket Gate, statue of St.
Blaise above the Gothic arch.
3:41 PM – Dubrovnik: statue of St. Blaise in niche above Fishmarket Gate (telephoto 105 mm).
Back inside the city wall, we headed northward, up Ulica sv. Dominika (St. Dominic Street), to the Dominican Monastery.
3:41 PM – Dubrovnik: our tour group (MT among leaders) heading from Fishmarket Gate, up Ulica
sv. Dominika, toward steps leading up to Dominican Monastery (under renovation).
St. Dominic Street (Croatian: Ulica
svetog Dominika), leading to the Dominican Monastery, is a narrow passageway
behind the Sponza Palace. From the other direction, this street between the
southern wall of the Dominican Monastery and the city wall leads from the Ploče
Gate to the Luža Square and the Stradun, the main street of the Old Town. The
street appears in several episodes of TV’s “Game of Thrones.” It is where the
Gold Cloaks kill one of King Robert’s illegitimate sons and also where Tyrion
and Bronn witness a protest speech in season two, In season five, Cersei
Lannister walks naked through this street as a sign of penance.
The Dominican Monastery
(Croatian: Dominikanski Samostan) was built close to the Ploče Gate and the
powerful Revelin Fort at the eastern end of the walled city, located at one of
the most sensitive defensive points for the city at that time. It was built
against the city wall to strengthen its northeastern flank. In 1225, the
Dominicans established their first monastery in Dubrovnik. However, construction
of the present building began in 1301 and was completed in the mid-15th century.
This imposing structure is an architectural delight, built primarily in a
transitional Gothic-Renaissance style, although some elements of Romanesque and
Baroque styles are present. The monastery was extensively rebuilt after the
earthquake of 1667. It now houses the Museum of the Dominican Monastery
(Croatian: Muzej Dominikanskog Samostana), which is a major treasury of art and
cultural heritage, exhibiting many artefacts paintings, jewelry, and historical
pieces from throughout the centuries of Dubrovnik’s past.
The design of the Church of St.
Dominic is typically Gothic, with several arched openings and high-rising,
bare outer walls. It was only in 1419 that the southern side was altered,
adding Romanesque-style structures. Construction of the bell tower began in the
16th century, but it was not completed until the 18th century. An impressive stairway
with a stone balustrade leads to the south door of the church. The balustrade
originally had large, equally-spaced gaps, but the authorities decided that the
lower parts should be connected together, creating an unusual stone curtain.
This was because the Dominican monks didn’t want curious and lascivious men
ogling ladies’ ankles as they climbed the stairs to the church. At the time,
bare ankles were pure erotica. During Cersei’s Walk of Shame in “Game of
Thrones,” the crowd hurled insults from these steps on Sv. Dominika street.
3:42 PM – Dubrovnik: view, from balustrade on steps up to Dominican
Monastery, of Ulica sv. Dominika, as it
curves around inside the city wall (right); Monastery on left.
MT 3:36 PM – Dubrovnik: view, from balustrade on steps up to Dominican
Monastery, of Ulica sv. Dominika, as it
curves around inside the city wall (right); Monastery and its bell tower on
left.
3:42 PM – Dubrovnik: balustrade at top of steps up to Dominican Monastery with
ankle-protection system at bottom (telephoto 81 mm).
Our guide said the APS (ankle
protection system) was to keep men from seeing below the knees of women, who
had to lift their skirts when climbing the steps.
3:44 PM – Dubrovnik: sign for “Church under Renovation” from “Dominican Monastery
Dubrovnik Museum.”
3:44 PM – Dubrovnik: Dominican Church – main altar in apse under renovation.
Dubrovnik: Dominican Church – view from rear of
nave to apse with main altar in 2016, before renovation (By Richard Mortel from
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - Dominican monastery, Dubrovnik, 14th century (15), CC BY
2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69770771).
The main altar features Mary and Joseph in typical Byzantine-Gothic style. The splendid golden crucifix hanging from the central arch over the main altar was given to the church as a votive offering in 1384 and is one of the most important works from the late Middle Ages located in Croatia.
Dubrovnik: Dominican Church – crucifix flanked by
Mary and Joseph above main altar in 2015, before renovation (By Sailko - Own
work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43121522).
3:45 PM – Dubrovnik: Dominican Monastery – our guide leading tour group into vaulted
cloister on way to Museum.
The monastery’s Gothic cloister
(1456-83) has triple arches, in beautiful Gothic and Renaissance style,
surrounding a peaceful Mediterranean courtyard. In the center of the courtyard
is a 14th-century well with a richly decorated crown. During the Siege of
Dubrovnik in 1991-92, this well is estimated to have provided water to 50
percent of the city’s population.
3:45 PM – Dubrovnik: Dominican Monastery – cloister courtyard.
3:46 PM – Dubrovnik: Dominican Monastery – cloister courtyard with well.
MT 3:40 PM – Dubrovnik: Dominican Monastery – well in cloister courtyard.
3:46 PM – Dubrovnik: Dominican Monastery – cloister courtyard, with well, and bell
tower.
The bell tower of the
monastery is a major landmark in the Old City. It was begun in the 16th century
and completed in the 18th century.
3:50 PM – Dubrovnik: Dominican Monastery – our guide outside Museum entrance explaining
that no photos would be allowed (as also indicated on sign to right of door);
one of the art works was partially visible through the door (see red circle).
3:50 PM (Cropped) – Dubrovnik: Museum of Dominican Monastery – one of the art
works was partially visible through the door.
Dubrovnik: Museum of Dominican Monastery – that painting,
altarpiece of the Đorđić family, by Nikola Božidarević in 1513 (By Sailko - Own
work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43122225).
Nikola Božidarević (c. 1460-1518) was
a great painter of the Dubrovnik Renaissance, who worked at the transition from
the 15th to 16th century, at the turn of the Gothic to the Renaissance. Born in
the Ragusan city of Kotor (today in Montenegro) as the son of a painter, he
received his early training in Dubrovnik and was mentioned as a fresco painter
at the Rector’s Palace in 1475. He continued his education in Venice, and upon
his return to Dubrovnik in 1494 signed his works as Nicolo Raguseo (in Italian)
or Nicolaus Rhagusinus (in Latin), meaning Nicholas of Ragusa (Dubrovnik). The
Dubrovnik Dominicans commissioned works from him, as did noble families and
individuals and other monasteries and churches. The Dubrovnik archives record at
least 17 works by him. However, only four of them have been preserved, all of them
private votive offerings, and three of them are on display in the Museum of the
Dominican Monastery in Dubrovnik.
The Đorđić family was one of
the 12 “old patrician” families of Ragusa, from which 63 % of the rectors of
the Republic of Ragusa were elected and from which half the senators of the
Republic came.
Dubrovnik: Museum of Dominican Monastery – another painting
in the museum, the Annunciation, also painted for the Đorđić family, by Nikola Božidarević
in 1513 and signed “Nicolo Raguseo” (By Sailko - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Niccol%C3%B2_ragusino_(nikola_bozidarovic),_annunciazione,_1513_ca.,_02.JPG).
He signed his name in brush strokes only twice as “Nicolaus Rhagusinus” or “Nicolo Raguseo”—once in a marble medallion under the arm of Gabriel in the middle of the Annunciation, which he painted in 1513 for the Đorđić family, the second time at the foot of the Virgin’s throne on the main altar retable in the Church of Our Lady of Danče, his last work (1517).
Dubrovnik: Museum of Dominican Monastery – the Annunciation,
also painted for the Đorđić family, by Nikola Božidarević in 1513 and signed
“Nicolo Raguseo” below the outstretched left arm of the Archangel Gabriel (By
Sailko - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Niccol%C3%B2_ragusino_(nikola_bozidarovic),_annunciazione,_1513_ca.,_02.JPG, CROPPED).
MT 3:51 PM – Dubrovnik: Museum of Dominican Monastery – manuscript song
book.
3:56 PM – Dubrovnik: Dominican Monastery – cloister, after brief museum visit.
Then our guide took us westward down the narrow Ulica Prijeko street, parallel to the Stradun on the north.
4:02 PM – Dubrovnik: view to west on Ulica Prijeko, with many tables for restaurants crowding
the narrow street.
Ulica
Prijeko (misspelled Prueko on the Viking map, apparently
mistaking IJ for U) runs parallel to the Placa (Stradun) but farther north.
Laid out according to the urban development plan of 1272, it was entirely
remodeled after the earthquake of 1667. It leads from Ulica Zlatarska (Goldsmith’s
Street) near the Dominican Monastery, on the east side of the city, all the way
to Ulica Celestina Medovića, which runs along the east side of the Franciscan
Church on the west side. There are 14 cross-streets connecting it with the
Stradun. On this street are a number of houses with picturesque portals,
balconies, and windows in Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque styles. Today, the
majority of its buildings are restaurants.
4:02 PM – Dubrovnik: side street (probably Ulica Zlatarska) to south off Ulica Prijeko, toward
Church of St. Blaise (visible at end of street) on Stradun; lit street lamp in
foreground is for “Boutique Fashion Style.”
Then, the guide took us back to Luža Square.
4:03 PM – Dubrovnik: Luža Square – base of bell
tower (left), rounded-arch niche of Little Onofrio’s Fountain (behind pillar in
front of Arsenal portal), City Hall (with awnings for Gradska Kavana Arsenal café
in that building), Rector’s Palace (projecting further onto street), Cathedral
at far end of Ulica Pred Dvorum street, and corner of Church of St. Blaise
(right).
Between the Rector’s Palace and the
city bell tower was the City Council Palace, built in the 14th century. The
palace was completely destroyed by fire in 1816. Its façade was similar to
today’s appearance of the Sponza Palace. Later, in the same location, the
building of the City Hall (Croatian: Palača Grada) was erected in 1882.
Also a part of this building are the Dubrovnik Theater (also known as Marin
Držić Theater) and the Gradska Kavana Arsenal (City Coffeehouse Arsenal).
Next to the City Council Palace,
the Gothic building of the Main Guard, the home of the admiral, was constructed
in 1490. Later adaptations to the entrance portal and on the mezzanine were
carried out in the 19th century.
The street name Ulica Pred
Dvorom means “street in front of the palace.”
The Gradska Kavana Arsenal
(City Coffeehouse Arsenal) restaurant and bar, established in 1895, is located at Ulica Pred Dvorum 1. Because of
the proximity to the port, there was a shipyard in this area from as early as
the 13th century, known as the Arsenal—after which today’s restaurant in the
former Arsenal building was named. Large windows in the old Arsenal’s three
arches on the east side provide great views of the Old Port, and the
restaurant’s front terrace overlooks Luža Square.
4:03 PM – Dubrovnik: Luža Square – Fishmarket Gate,
with banner for Dubrovnik Summer Festival 10 July-25 August (left); bell tower
with “Libertas” flag; rounded-arch niche of Little Onofrio’s Fountain (behind pillar
in front of Arsenal portal); and corner of City Hall (right).
4:04 PM – Dubrovnik: view, from Luža Square, down
pedestrianized Stradun to tower of Franciscan Monastery at west end of Old
Town.
4:05 PM – Dubrovnik: Luža Square –photo on
placeholder for Orlando’s Column, which was under repair; note the broken sword
in the photo.
Dubrovnik: Orlando’s Column on Luža Square in
front of Church of St. Blaise, with unbroken sword (By Bizutage - Own work, CC
BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=33389373).
The 20-foot-tall Orlando’s Column (Croatian: Orlandov Stup) in Luža Square was erected in 1396, soon after the Republic of Ragusa shifted its allegiance from Venice to Hungary. It was erected in honor of Sigismund of Luxembourg (1368-1437), King of Hungary and Croatia (as of 1387), who by a successful war alliance against Venice had helped Ragusa retain its relative independence, as a vassal-state of his kingdom. Statues of Charlemagne’s heroic knight Roland (Orlando in Italian) were typical symbols of city autonomy or independence; these were also a symbol of belonging to the Hanseatic League (a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns). The first such column was erected in 1404 in Bremen, Germany. In 1419, the master sculptor Bonino di Jacopo from Milan, with the help of local sculptors, replaced the first Roland statue with the present one.
The
column was erected in front of Dubrovnik’s main trading center and business
meeting place known as the Sponza Palace. Whenever the Republic made a
decision, the town crier came to this column to announce the news. The step on
which he stood indicated the importance of the message—the higher up, the more
important the news. It was also used as a pillory, where people were publicly
punished or exposed to shame. The thin line on the top step in front of Orlando
is exactly as long as the statue’s forearm (51.25 cm). This mark was
Dubrovnik’s standard of measurement for an “elbow” (Croatian: lakat), also
known as the Croatian cubit, rather than a foot.
In 1825,
a strong gust of wind toppled the column, which had originally faced to the
east. It was returned to the square only in 1878 and then turned to face north.
Since the column often flies a flag at high mast in punishing wind, cracks
constantly appear, the last ones in 2007, necessitating repairs. It often gets
damaged not only by nature but also by people. People have been known to “bend
the sword,” and so the one that is now on the column is not the original but a
replica. There is always one replacement in reserve to be able to replace it
the same day as vandals damage the monument. So, in 2019, the column was
enclosed with protective scaffolds, with photos of the actual statue on each of
its four sides and texts in a variety of languages, in order to begin
examination of the cracks and begin repair work.
The
column is adorned by the life-size statue, made in 1418, of the medieval knight
Roland in armor (of the 15th-century style), with a sword and shield, a
typically Gothic smile on his face framed by curls. The column is a symbol of
statehood and supports a flagpole on which the flag of the Republic of Ragusa
(Dubrovnik) was flown, and today the flag of the Republic of Croatia. At the
time of the feast of St. Blaise, the column is adorned with a flag with the
image of the patron saint, and at the time of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival it
flies the “Libertas” flag.
According
to a legend for
which there is no historical evidence, in the 8th century Orlando and his fleet
saved Dubrovnik from a 15-month-long Saracen siege. (Some versions of the
legend date this event in the 9th century, which does not fit with the death of
Roland in 778.) To express their gratitude, the grateful citizens erected this
beautiful column in Orlando’s honor. However, we know that this legend is not
true, but rather a piece of folklore by which the people explained the erection
of the column. Also according to the legend, Orlando defeated the Saracens near
the island of Lokrum, southeast of the city’s Old Port, which was the folk explanation
for why the statue was (originally) oriented to the east.
“BONINO
DE JACOPO / ORLANDO’S COLUMN / SECOND DECADE OF THE 15TH CENTURY /
STONE
“The
tall and slender stone flag column [German: The slender giant column of stone,
which serves as a flag mast] is decorated with a depiction of a medieval knight
in deep relief. According to the contract from 1418, the column was made by a
foreign sculptor with the help of local masters. This is an ideal example of a
Gothic royal-style monumental sculpture positioned in the open space of the
city for specific reasons, more important even than its artistic features.
“Like
a series of north-eastern European cities, Dubrovnik was the only city in the
Mediterranean that placed the aforementioned monument in its centre during the
Venetian conquest of the Slavic coast to emphasize the protection of King
Sigismund, who was also the patron of distant cities in the joint merchant
guild, so-called Hanseatic League. At the same time, the stone monument became
a symbol of the city’s independence because it was linked to the old legend of
its liberation by the hero Orlando, seemingly responsible for driving out
Saracens who laid siege to Dubrovnik in the Middle Ages. Thus, the ancient will
for freedom coincided with the search for modern security, materialized in the
adamant figure of a proud knight placed in front of the city gate for all to
see, whether they come to the city by land or sea.
“Igor Fisković
“The Golden Age of Dubrovnik XV I XVI Century:
Urbanism, Architecture, Sculpture, Painting, Illuminated Manuscripts,
Goldsmithery (Zagreb, 1987)”
4:05 PM – Dubrovnik: Sponza Palace at northeast
corner of Luža Square.
The Sponza Palace (Croatian:
Palača Sponza), also called Dogana, Divona (from dogana, meaning
customs) or Pontik, is a 16th-century palace on the east end of Stradun (Placa)
street. Its name is derived from the Latin word spongia, a cistern where
rainwater was collected, referring to the former use of the spot on which it
was built. At the end of the 13th century, in this place next to the city wall,
the Great Customs Building was built. In 1356, the Grand Council of the
Republic of Ragusa decided to also build a cistern and a guest house there. In
the 14th century, a wax foundry and armory are mentioned, along with the
existing buildings. During the 15th century, a Latin school was built on the
site of the aforementioned buildings.
The rectangular building with an
inner courtyard was built in a harmonious blend of Gothic and Renaissance style
between 1516 and 1522. An open porch (loggia) with monumental arcades opens
onto the Luža Square in front of the palace, and another porch it on the floor
above it. The palace has served a variety of public functions, including as a
customs house and bonded warehouse, mint, armory, treasury, bank, and school.
It became the cultural center of the Republic of Ragusa, with the establishment
of the Academia dei Concordi, a literary academy, in the 16th century, It
survived the 1667 earthquake without damage, and its form suggests the possible
appearance of the majority of public and private palaces in the city before the
earthquake. The palace now houses the city archives.
4:06 PM – Dubrovnik: view of Church of St. Blaise
façade from Luža Square, with our guide next to the covered Orlando’s Column.
4:06 PM – Dubrovnik: statue of St. Blaise atop
Church of St. Blaise façade, backlit at this time of day (telephoto 156 mm).
The guided tour seems to have ended at this point, but we had still had some free time to explore on our own and headed down Pred Dvorum street toward the Cathedral.
4:08 PM – Dubrovnik: view down Pred Dvorum street
to south: City Hall (left, with awnings), Rector’s Palace, Cathedral (at end of
street), and east side of Church of St. Blaise (right).
4:09 PM – Dubrovnik: statue of Marin Držić on Pred
Dvorum street in front of City Hall building (which also houses the Dubrovnik
Theater, also known as Marin Držić Theater); the inscription on the stone base
reads: “Marin Držić (1508-1567) O 500 Godisnmci Rođenja Postavio Grad
Dubrovnik” (Marin Držić (1508-1567) Erected on 500th Anniversary of Birth, City
of Dubrovnik).
Marin Držić (1508-67) was a
great Dubrovnik playwright and comedy writer of the 16th century. He was a
commoner, born in Dubrovnik to a once-noble and well to do family (having lost
noble status in the 14th century after its patriarch fled the city during the
plague, which was a crime, and subsequently having fallen on hard times). Originally,
he was trained and ordained as a priest in 1526 (at age 18)—a calling very
unsuitable for his rebellious temperament. In 1538, he was sent to Siena in
Tuscany to study Church Canon Law but lost interest in his studies and returned
to Dubrovnik in 1543, although he intensely disliked the fact that the Republic
was governed by a small circle of tyrannical, elitist aristocrats. Apparently
unfulfilled by any other line of work, he turned to his impressive writing skills
and wild imagination. His first play was performed in Dubrovnik in 1548. Lovingly
called the “Shakespeare of Dubrovnik”(despite the fact that his most famous
works predate the Bard’s birth), he rose to fame despite the fact that
literature at that time was written exclusively by aristocrats. His works are
full of the virtues of life: love, vitality, liberty and sincerity, but also
cleverly mock egoism, notions of tyranny, and pettiness. They were not just for
entertainment but also social satire and sly commentary on the playwright’s own
life and times. The title character of his most famous play “Dundo Maroje” (Uncle
Maroye or Maro) was a wealthy but stingy aristocrat. He set parts of his comedy
Stanac beside the large and small Onofrio fountains.
The bronze statue of Marin Držić,
erected in 2008 (the 500th anniversary of his birth), has a shiny lap and nose,
which people rub for good luck. When the statue was first erected, children
were attracted to his prominent nose and couldn’t resist climbing up on this
lap and touching it. Tourists saw the shining parts and assumed they were
supposed to do it too. The sculptor dressed Držić as a priest. One part of the
face is serious and the other is smiling, to show that Držić could be both serious
and funny. There is a bullet hole on the right side of the statue’s neck,
apparently caused by the recent Yugoslav War (1991-95). The statue is located
outside the theater bearing Marin Držić’s name.
The square in front of the
Cathedral façade is now called Poljana
Marina Držića (Marin Držić Square).
It used to be called Pred Gospom (Before Our Lady).
MT 4:09 PM – Dubrovnik: Don rubbing nose of statue
of Marin Držić.
Then we came to the Cathedral.
The Cathedral of the Assumption (Croatian: Katedrala Marijina Uznesenja), also known as Cathedral of Our
Lady (Croatian: Katedrala Velike Gospe), is the seat of the Roman Catholic
Diocese of Dubrovnik. (See earlier notes.)
4:11 PM – Dubrovnik: Cathedral – north side, with
scaffolding for repairs and statues of three of the Four Evangelists with their
symbols at their feet: (left to right) John with eagle, Luke with ox or bull,
and (probably) Matthew with a man [Mark does not appear here, nor among the
three corresponding statues on the south side] (mild telephoto 56 mm).
In religious art, the Four
Evangelists (Gospel writers) are frequently represented or accompanied by
symbols: Matthew by a man, Mark by a lion, Luke by an ox or bull, and John by
an eagle. The images normally, but not invariably, appear with wings like angels.
Dubrovnik: Cathedral – façade, north side, and cupola, before renovation work (By
Sailko - Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=43119991).
Dubrovnik: Cathedral – south side, with three more statues of saints (none with
symbols at their feet), and cupola (By August Dominus - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=35912035).
This time we had an opportunity to see the inside of the Cathedral, which was not included on either of our guided tours.
The interior of the
Cathedral features a high nave, separated by massive columns from the two
aisles, three apses, and a grand Baroque dome at the crossing of the nave and
the transepts. The main altar has a triptych by Titian portraying the
Assumption of the Virgin, probably dating from 1552.
4:12 PM – Dubrovnik: Cathedral – view from rear of
nave to main altar in apse, below cupola.
4:15 PM – Dubrovnik: Cathedral – main altar in
apse.
MT 4:08 PM – Dubrovnik: Cathedral – main altar in
apse (mild telephoto 58 mm).
MT 4:07 PM – Dubrovnik: Cathedral – modern station
of the cross “XIII” (station 13 should be “Jesus is taken down from the cross;
however this looks more like station 12,”Jesus dies on the cross”).
4:13 PM – Dubrovnik: Cathedral – baptismal font on
side aisle; statue at left, identified on base (barely legible) as “IOA[N]NIS”
(John, probably John the Baptist), pointing to Christ in center; statue at
right identified on base as “EZECHIEL” (Ezekiel); above Christ are God the
Father and dove symbolizing Holy Spirit, flanked by two angels.
4:15 PM – Dubrovnik: Cathedral – view of organ in
choir loft at rear of nave.
4:16 PM – Dubrovnik: view from Cathedral to north
up Pred Dvorum street: Rector’s Palace in right foreground; Sponza Palace at far
end of street, flanked by Church of St. Blaise on left and City Bell Tower on
right.
4:18 PM – Dubrovnik: view from Pred Dvorum street
to Sponza Palace on northeast corner of Luža Square, with City Bell Tower on
right.
4:18 PM – Dubrovnik: another statue of St. Blaise,
high on façade of Sponza Palace (telephoto 156 mm).
Our afternoon
guide had said there were 14 statues of St.
Blaise in the city. We seemed to have seen most of them.
Then we headed back toward the Pile Gate to catch the Viking shuttle bus back to the ship. We stopped at the Large Onofrio’s Fountain.
4:23 PM – Dubrovnik: MT refilling her water bottle
from Large Onofrio’s Fountain.
We took the 4:30 pm bus from outside the Pile Gate.
At 6:15 pm, we went to the “Taste of Croatia” buffet at the Pool Grill, where we tried Soparnici and Kulen. We also had stuffed peppers, sausage-shaped meatballs, shrimp and mussels mix, and baby squid.
6:16 PM – Dubrovnik: MT trying Soparnici at “Taste of Croatia”
buffet.
Sliced soparnik (By Popo le Chien - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69436322).
Soparnik (plural: soparnici) is a savory pie filled with Swiss chard (or kale),
onions, and parsley between two layers of dough. It is the most famous
specialty of the Dalmatian region that included Croatia. The recipe is said to
have originated in the Osmanii period (15th-19th century) and is said to be the
prototype of the Italian pizza, which the Romans brought to Italy.
Slices of Kulen (By Frka - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6587531 ).
Kulen is a type of flavored sausage made of minced pork that is traditionally
produced in Serbia and Croatia.
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