20-10-2016
Dubrovnik is one of the world’s most magnificent walled cities, overlooking the calm blue Adriatic sea. Once the capital Republic of Ragusa (1358-1808), it’s now Croatia’s top tourists destination. Today, the pedestrian-only Old Town – packed with aristocratic Palatial and elegant Baroque churches, contained within sturdy medieval fortifications – draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Dubrovnik witnesses the changing fortune of a borderland Mediterranean city-state that for centuries lived in harmony with its surroundings. Originally called Ragusa, the city was founded in the 7th century as a refuge for coastal residents fleeing the advancing barbarians. From the outset, the city was protected by defensive walls. Part of the Mediterranean cultural constellation, yet intimately connected to the Balkans.
Due to its historic borderland status, Dubrovnik was significantly affected by the break-up of Yugoslavia. In the early 90s, Greater Serb aggression resulted in Dubrovnik suffering its most serious existential threat. Over two-thirds of the historic town’s buildings were hit by artillery. The town’s cobbled streets were struck by hundreds of direct hits. For the first time in history, the medieval city walls hit by artillery and received major destruction. Many historic palaces were badly damaged by the resulting fires.
The walls are the main reason why Dubrovnik is well known as the Pearl of the Adriatic. They were built through the history in times when there was a danger of foreign attacks over the City and the Dubrovnik Republic. The history goes back to the Middle Ages. In the 9th century, Saracens besieged the city for 15 months.. These are the facts that the City was well fortified in that time.
The remarkable preservation of the neatly contained Dubrovnik center, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. We started our tour from the front of the Pile Square, the area in front of Pile Gate, one of the three ways to enter the Old Town through the thick walls, and started the walking tour. The first stop is at Onofrio’s fountain, the circular domed structure that for centuries has been source of Old Town’s drinking water. Then move on to the Franciscan Monastery, which boasts a gorgeous Gothic courtyard and one of the oldest working pharmacies in the Europe. Continued walking down the lime stone-clad Stratum, one of the widest and straightest streets in Old Town. Other highlights along the way include the city’s Bell Tower, the Church of St. Blaise, dedicated to the patron said of Dubrovnik and the opulent Rector’s Palace.
