The Pearl of Adriatic as if a page from Games of Thrones - Old City of Dubrovnik 95; Festivity of Saint Blaise, the patron of Dubrovnik 00232; Art of dry stone construction, knowledge and techniques 02106
What and Why
Dubrovnik, known as the 'Pearl of the Adriatic' by George Byron, is a city that comes out of the page of the mediaeval fantasy stories with the city being beautifully planned and constructed with brown marbles and limestones. The history of the city probably dates back to the 7th century CE, when the city was founded by refugees from the nearby Greek city of Epidaurum (Greek: Ἐπίδαυρος, Epidauros). The then town was known as Ragusa, and was under the protectorate of the Byzantine Empire (Greek: Βασιλεία Ῥωμαίων, Basileía Rhōmaíōn) and later under the sovereignty of Republic of Venice (Venetian: Venèçia). Between the 14th and 19th centuries CE, Dubrovnik ruled itself as a free state under the name Ragusa and prospered with its maritime trade during the 15th and 16th centuries CE. The country also became notable for its wealth and skilled diplomacy, as it was able to maintain its peace and political independence throughout its history, until recently.
The gorgeous architecture of this historic maritime city makes this a wonderful set for fantasy movies, like the Game of Thrones. In particular the walls of Dubrovnik (Croatian: Dubrovačke gradske zidine) are a series of defensive stone walls surrounding the city. These walls have been considered to be amongst the great fortification systems of the Middle Ages, as they were never breached until the 1990s CE Siege of Dubrovnik (Opsada Dubrovnika).
Combining all these historical factors, the city's unique blend of historical heritage, cultural traditions, and natural beauty offers a multi-faceted tourism experience that resonates deeply with its visitors. Dubrovnik's architecture is one of its most striking features. The city boasts a blend of Gothic (German: Gotik), Renaissance, and Baroque styles, which reflect its history and influences from various Mediterranean cultures.
However the city was actually reconstructed at least twice, once when it was almost totally destroyed when a devastating earthquake hit in 1667 CE, and recently after during the 1990s CE war.
Toponymy
The term 'dubrovnik' means 'oakwood' in various Slavic languages, coming from Proto-Slavic word 'dǫbъ' meaning 'oak'. It has also been conjectured that the toponym to derive from the word 'dubron', a Celtic word for 'water'; or 'dubrava' in Croatian meaning 'grove'. There is no widely-accepted conclusion on the toponym.
See
Pile Gate (Vrata od Pila)
The main entrance to Old Town with a statue of Saint Blaise (Armenian: Սուրբ Վլասի, Surb Vlasi), the venerated saint of the city overlooking by the stone drawbridge. The name Pile comes from the Greek word 'πύλη (pýli)' meaning 'gate'.
Stradun
Stradun is the main thoroughfare of Dubrovnik and serves as the heart of the city’s pedestrian zone. The beautiful Renaissance-style limestone-paved pedestrian street runs some 300 m and contains most of the sites of the city. Stradun is a lively hub, full of shops, cafes, and restaurants, offering visitors a glimpse into the city's social and commercial life.
Right at the entrance stands the famous Onofrio fountain (Onofrijeva fontana), which supplies water into the city through a intricate pipe-network from more than 10 km away. It is named after its engineer Onofrio della Cava when it was built in the mid-15th century CE.
Franciscan Church and Monastery (Franjevački Samostan i Crkva)
The Franciscan Church and Monastery (Franjevački Samostan i Crkva) is a large complex belonging to the Order of the Friars Minor (Latin: Ordo Fratrum Minorum), built during the 13th century CE. It consists of a monastery, a church, a library and a pharmacy. The complex includes Gothic, Romanesque and Baroque style in various constructions which indicates the different era of construction.
There are two important sites to visit: one is the two Romanesque-Gothic styled cloisters and the other is the old pharmacy.
The old pharmacy is actually the third oldest pharmacy in the world and still manufactures medicines based on the mediaeval recipe. The pharmacy has been operating since the city's foundation.
Sponza Palace (Palača Sponza)
The 16th century CE Sponza Palace's (Palača Sponza) name derives from the word sponge (Latin: spongia), as it was where rainwater was harvested. The palace has served a variety of public functions, including as a customs office and warehouse, mint, armoury, treasury, bank and school. The palace's inner atrium served as a trading and business centre. The palace is now home to the city archives, with the earliest manuscript being from 1022 CE. The more impressive part of the collection is the portraits of those young people killed during the recent war in Dubrovnik.
It is interesting to note that the mediaeval palace's atrium finds a foothold in modern computer technology. The atrium, known commonly as the Sponza Atrium is now a widely used standard reference model for global illumination in computer-graphics rendering exercise.
Roland Column and Bell Tower (Kolona Roland i Zvonik)
In front of the Sponza Palace, under the City Bell Tower, stands a stone column, deep carved in the form of an ancient knight. Atop of the column is a small platform suited for public proclamations with a significant knight Roland (Old Frankish: *Hrōþiland) carved in the column called the Roland Column (Kolona Roland). Roland was a Frankish military leader under Charlemagne (né Charles Martel) during the 8th century CE, responsible for defending Francia (Latin: Regnum Francorum) against the Bretons (Breton: Bretoned). Roland died during the ordeal and his tales were amplified, exaggerated and made into an epic tale of the noble Christian killed by hostile forces. Roland's story was used during the time as a symbol of patriotic bravery, also symbolising the protectorate alliance during the Croatia-Hungary (Hrvatska Mađarskom) union. Roland statues were typical symbols of city autonomy or independence during the era.
The Bell Tower (Zvonik) gathers spectators every hour as it is famous for the green ones (zelenci), bronze statues which strike the gigantic bell at the hour.
Rector Palace (Knežev Dvor)
The Rector Palace (Knežev Dvor) is a palace that used to serve as the seat of the rector of the Republic of Ragusa between the 14th century to 19th century CE. The rector was the highest holder of executive power in Ragusa.
The palace, built in the Gothic and Renaissance styles, features beautiful arcades, a central courtyard, and a series of rooms where government meetings were held. Today, it is the city museum displaying artefacts that tell the story of Dubrovnik’s rich past.
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Katedrala Marijina Uznesenja)
The Roman Catholic cathedral in Dubrovnik completed in the early 18th century CE. The cathedral, dedicated to the assumption of the Virgin Mary (Aramaic: מרים, Maryam), is a Baroque masterpiece built on the site of an older Romanesque cathedral. The interior features beautiful altars, religious artworks, and a treasury that holds relics of Saint Blaise, Dubrovnik’s patron saint.
Church of Saint Blaise (Crkva Sveta Blaža)
The Church of Saint Blaise (Crkva Sveta Blaža) is a very ornate Baroque church to worship the patron saint of the city Saint Blaise, as mentioned above. Saint Blaise is the saint of wool ancombers and throat disease and is identified by mediaeval Slavs with the pagan god Veles, and is formerly the protector of Ragusa. In fact he is so venerated a festival is held on the 3rd February annually to commemorate the saint, especially with regard to throat diseases. People flock into the city in costumes to participate in a procession. The ritual dates back in some form to at least the 12th century CE and has reinforced a close identification of Dubrovnik’s residents with the city’s patron. This festival, called the Veles' Day (Velesov dan), is an ICH.
City walls (Gradske zidine)
One of the most iconic features of Dubrovnik is its city walls (gradzke zidine), which stretch nearly 2 km around the Old Town. The ramparts of Dubrovnik are a series of fine fortifications built over the 12th to 16th century CE, which was famous to be almost impenetrable, true until the 1990s CE. The rampart walls encircle the entire city with a circumference of approximately 2 km. A natural thing to do is to walk and complete the circle, which takes around 30 minutes to walk. Honestly no trip to Dubrovnik is complete without walking around the city walls, and this was really the climax of the visit. On some of the highest spots, one enjoy unrivalled view of the sea and the city underneath.
The walls reach up to 25 m in height and are dotted with towers, bastions, and fortresses. Visitors can walk along the walls, offering stunning views of the city and the Adriatic Sea.
The ramparts were instrumental in protecting Dubrovnik from invaders throughout history, most notably during the Ottoman (Ottoman Turkish: دولت عثمانيه, Devlet-i ʿOsmānīye) and Venetian periods. Today they stand as one of the best-preserved fortification systems in Europe.
Fort Lovrijenac (Tvrđava Lovrijenac)
Fort Lovrijenac (Tvrđava Lovrijenac), or translated as Saint Lawrence fort, is a triangular fortress and theatre outside the western wall of the city. Built in the 11th century CE, the fortress is famed for its plays and importance in resisting Venetian rule, when Venice attempted, but failed, to built a fortress on top on this fort to make its territorial claim. It is now a favourite spot for cliff-diving.
Minceta Tower (Tvrđava Minčeta)
The Minceta Tower (Tvrđava Minčeta) is one of the most beautiful cultural attractions around the city walls of Dubrovnik. It is situated on the northwest side of the city inside the city walls. The tower was named after Minčeta family on whose estate it was built. The tower is now celebrated for being filmed as the House of Undying in Games of Thrones.
Lazareti
The Lazareti is a series of connected blocks outside the city walls of Dubrovnik, which is best viewed from the boat-trip. While currently an uninteresting gallery, it reminds us of the origin of the word quarantine during this tumultuous time of writing of the coronavirus pandemic. The block served as the quarantine station during the Ragusa period, with the word 'quarantine' coming from 'quarantena', meaning 'forty days' in Venetian, used in 14th–15th-century CE. This practice was first legally enforced in 1347 CE in Ragusa at this station when all ships were required to be isolated before passengers and crew could go ashore during the Black Death, although the concept of quarantine has been practised since biblical times.
Buy and Do
Drugs (Droga)
There are plenty of artisans in the walled city selling all sorts of tourist stuffs. Two things will catch the eyes: spices from Dalmatia (Dalmacija) and drugs.
The Dubrovnik Old Pharmacy creates various toiletries based on ancient recipes and is a must-do visit. Apparently it is anecdoted that the tie is also a Dalmatian invention.
Lokrum
One of the tourist-things-to-do is to take a boat trip around Dubrovnik and enjoy the beautiful and historic scenery. The interesting part of the trip is that it passes by the island of Lokrum, which includes a nudist beach, named FKK based on the German word for free body culture (German: Freikörperkultur) with nudists waving aggressively their various body parts at the passing boats.
Eat and Drink
We had all our dinners at the hotel and so cannot make major comments on Croatian cuisine. From the look of it, it suggests a mixture of Slavic and Turkish cuisine with a lot of local spices. Grilled fish is a specialty of Croatia (Hrvatska).
Stay
We stayed in the luxurious and modern hotel Valamar Lacroma Dubrovnik. Excellent stay. Very posh with private beach and thermal pools. Moreover incredible buffet dinner.
Travel Suggestions and Logistics
We came by a tour bus and but otherwise Dubrovnik is served with a local airport. Within the walled city, the entire city is fully walkable, including the city-wall-walk. Spend at least two days in the city, even though it is tiny.
Simply put, Dubrovnik is a traveller's haven on its own and one should spend two three days in the city. The city is also well served by cruise ships so one could consider coming via that route and connect to other cities.
One precaution when walking along the Stadun, it is very slippery, especially when it rains. After all it is marble and smoothed over centuries of walking.
UNESCO Inscriptions
The 'Pearl of the Adriatic', situated on the Dalmatian coast, became an important Mediterranean sea power from the 13th century onwards. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. Damaged again in the 1990s by armed conflict, it is now the focus of a major restoration programme co-ordinated by UNESCO.
The evening before the festivity of Saint Blaise in Dubrovnik, Croatia, as all the church bells in the city ring and white doves are released as symbols of peace, worshippers gather for a ritual healing of the throat to preserve them against illness. On the third of February, the official day of both saint and city, parish banner bearers flow into the city in folk costume for the centrepiece of the festival, a procession attended by bishops, ambassadors, civic leaders, visiting notables and the people of Dubrovnik. The festivity embodies many aspects of human creativity, from rituals to folk songs, from performance to traditional crafts (including the making of the historical weapons fired in celebration). The ritual dates back in some form to at least 1190 and has reinforced a close identification of Dubrovnik’s residents with the city’s patron, Saint Blaise. Over time, the festivity has evolved as Dubrovnik and the world have changed. Each generation adapts it slightly, inspired by its own ideas and needs to make the ritual its own. On Saint Blaise’s day, Dubrovnik gathers not only its residents, but all those who pay respect to tradition and the right to one’s freedom and peace.
The art of dry stone walling concerns the knowhow related to making stone constructions by stacking stones upon each other, without using any other materials except sometimes dry soil. Dry stone structures are spread across most rural areas – mainly in steep terrains – both inside and outside inhabited spaces, though they are not unknown in urban areas. The stability of the structures is ensured through the careful selection and placement of the stones, and dry-stone structures have shaped numerous, diverse landscapes, forming various modes of dwelling, farming and husbandry. Such structures testify to the methods and practices used by people from prehistory to today to organize their living and working space by optimizing local natural and human resources. They play a vital role in preventing landslides, floods and avalanches, and in combating erosion and desertification of the land, enhancing biodiversity and creating adequate microclimatic conditions for agriculture. The bearers and practitioners include the rural communities where the element is deeply rooted, as well as professionals in the construction business. Dry stone structures are always made in perfect harmony with the environment and the technique exemplifies a harmonious relationship between human beings and nature. The practice is passed down primarily through practical application adapted to the particular conditions of each place.
References
Comments
Please share your thoughts and comments about the blog. If you need suggestions to build a travel itinerary, please let me know. More than willing to help. I would also like to build a bespoke-travel community around UNESCO WHS and ICH.
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