Croatia , Bosnia, Montenegro-05/11-5/19/2019

Dubrovnik-Day 3-Museums/churches-5/13-/2019

Rector's Palace

The Rector’s Palace was built in the late 15th century for the elected rector who governed Dubrovnik. This Gothic-Renaissance palace contains the rector’s office and private chambers, public halls, administrative offices and a dungeon. During his one-month term the rector was unable to leave the building without the permission of the senate. Today the palace has been turned into the Cultural History Museum, with artfully restored rooms, portraits, coats of arms and coins, evoking the glorious history of Ragusa.

The facade of the Rector's palace.

 

 

Stray cats are taking refuge from the rain on the steps of the Rector's palace.  Somebody put a mat there for them to be comfortable and I guess they are welcome to roam around.

 

Rector’s Palace is a two-story building, with portico and atrium.

 

The ground-floor portico was re-built in Renaissance form but with some Gothic elements (three of the seven capitals are Gothic).

 
View from the Atrium of the 2nd story.


Lots of columns...

In the atrium and in the center of the staircase features a statue of Miho Pracat, a Dubrovnik ship-owner from the 16th century revered for his bravery and generosity.

It’s the “only statute dedicated to a common citizen built during the Republic”

 


"hand" rail

 

View of the atrium from the 2nd floor.

 

A small bell tower rises above and there is a clock at the center of the upper level. 

 

Paintings hanging along the wall leading to the museum.

Pair of original bronze bell-ringers from the town Bell Tower (Marco and Baro).  Like antique robots from the Renaissance (1477-1478, these eerily lifelike sculptures could pivot at the waist to ring the bell.

 

Silverware on display.

 

Artillery room

The red room is the only room that was more or less left as it was in the 1500.

 

 

We are now leaving the Rector's palace. 

 

Back out to the Stradun.

Walking from Stradun to the Cathedral, you will pass by a bronze statue of the writer Marin Držić. Lovingly called Dubrovnik's Shakespeare, he is today best known for his comedies which shed a light onto the social realities of the Renaissance period.

The statue’s shiny spots are the result of a trend for rubbing its (considerable) nose for good luck and taking photos seated in the lap, but beware: the custom is frowned upon by local heritage aficionados.

Church of St. Blaise

 Named after the saint protector of Dubrovnik, this is perhaps the church most beloved of the city’s people. Located on the main square on the Stradun.  A church has stood on this spot since 1368, but following a fire, the present church (1717) was built in Baroque style by Venetian architect Marino Gropelli, who was also sculptor of the statue of St Blaise standing above the entrance to the church, protectively holding a scale model of the Old Town in his hand. The church’s front steps are the setting for some of the most important events of the life of the city, including New Year’s Eve and the opening night of the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, which always used to include a concert by legendary renaissance-pop group and Eurovision contestants The Troubadours.

 

In front of St Blaise Church stands a column with a carving of Orlando (or Roland), nephew of Charlemagne and legend of minstrel ballads embodying freedom and nobility. The column was raised in 1418, and from that date the flag of St Blaise flew here right until the end of the Republic.

The column is under repair at this time so it is wrapped around in a square so that people can still what it looks like.

Small Onoforio's fountain

This is the small Onoforio fountain Located on the other end of Stradun, in the corner of the Luza Square, next to the entrance from Ploce Gate. 

The big one is located at the entrance of Pile gate.

This fountain is also designed by the same architect and made by the sculptor Pietro di Martino from Milan. It is structured as octagonal pool, embellished by reliefs of boys, The purpose of the Small fountain was to supply the market on the Luza square with water. 

 

Serbian Orthodox Church

Dubrovnik's only Serbian Orthodox church, the Holy Annunciation was built in 1877 in typical Neo-Byzantine architectural style .

 

 The church was damaged by bombs during the Siege of Dubrovnik in 1991 and was repaired in 2009 using finances from the Croatian Ministry of Culture, the City of Dubrovnik and private contributions.

 

The interior of the church

 

The main Altar

 

Lots of gold!

 

Painting high above the altar of Jesus and the last supper.  Really nice painting.

 

Dubrovnik defender Memorial in Sponza palace

The Dubrovnik Defenders Memorial is to be found on the ground floor of the Sponza Palace on the Stradun. It is a massive room with walls depicting monochrome pictures of Dubrovnik during the 1991 Homeland War, also known as the Croatian War of Independence.

 

Photos of people who died as a result of the conflict from 1991 and 1995 during the battle for Dubrovnik.

 

Wall to wall pictures of the defenders and above are photos of the city during bombing and war.

 

Photo of Dubrovnik during the conflict years.

 

Next...Last evening in the Old City

 

Home

Travel

Our house

Birthdays

Photo Gallery

 Mon  petit coin