Dubrovnik in Croatia
The
former city-republic of Dubrovnik stands on the coast of South Dalmatia,
the most southerly region of Croatia. Behind it rise the Dinaric Alps,
limestone peaks that form the border with Bosnia-Herzegovina, and facing
the city are the blue waters of the Adriatic. Its ancient city walls,
reinforced with towers in the fifteenth century, surround and protect a
wonderfully preserved historic city centre, that was designated a UNESCO
World Heritage Site in 1979.
Known as
Ragusa from the twelfth century until 1918, it became a rich and powerful
republic thanks to its location. By the sixteenth century it had a huge
fleet of merchant ships, carrying goods to western Europe, but its
decline began after a terrible earthquake in 1667, which razed many
Gothic buildings and killed some 5,000 people. New Baroque buildings were
erected, and to this day those fortified medieval walls have largely
protected the city from the wars that have raged around it. In the early
1990s the Yugoslav People's Army besieged Dubrovnik and ruined many of
its famous terracotta tiled rooftops. However careful restoration work
since then has returned the city to its former glory.
The old city
is pedestrainized, but it is small enough to be able to visit all the
sights easily and is a joy to stroll around. The main street, Placa, is
paved with gleaming white limestone dating from the 1460s, although the
buildings to either side were erected after the earthquake. The Sponza
Palace dates from the 1520s and is one of the few buildings not to have
been damaged by the earthquake. Other important buildings are the
Rector's Palace, the Cathedral, the Dominican Monastery with its lovely
fifteenth-century cloister, and the Franciscan Monastery.
