The closed city of Dubrovnik in Croatia - District of the Dominicans

The unit consisted the Dominican church and the monastery posts a strengthened pace, practically integrated in the defensive system of the ramparts of the city.

At the time of the earthquake of 1667, the Dominican monastery will not undergo a serious damage, so that its monumental sumptuousness does of it one of the most beautiful architectural achievements of the old city of Dubrovnik.

At the beginning, the monastery was located out of walls, on a strategic point of the defense of the Republic of Raguse. It was integrated soon in the system of the defense of the city, as an indissociable element.

To reach the Dominican monastery since the port, while remaining on the quay, to skirt the palace of the Vice-chancellor, the tower of the Clock and to turn left while passing under the loggia. To go up ulica Svetoga Dominika on the right, to the broad staircase of the Dominican monastery, on the left.

The Dominican monastery was built in several stages, between 14th and the 16th century, and even later, some of its parts being several times altered later on. Y are thus visible elements belonging to different styles, novel and baroque, with predominance of the elements of the flowered Gothic and the Rebirth.

The building work of this great urban complex intensified starting from 1301, with the financial assistance of the government of the Republic of Raguse and the active participation of all the inhabitants of the district with the building work (on the order of the government). The works were completed by the Masters of Dubrovnik and Zadar, in collaboration with Italian Masters.

The monastery had its final form at the 15th century when three wings were added to him who, with the church, girdle the cloister. They shelter, inter alia, the sacristy and the chapter house which mark the introduction of the first appearance of the Rebirth into the crowned architecture of Dubrovnik.

Outside, the building is very sober, except for the splendid southern gate of the church which preserves Romance elements under a Gothic gothic arch. In spite of its bell-tower (14th-18th century) which cap a cupola, the unit keeps a strengthened pace, practically integrated in the defensive system of the ramparts of the city in order to reinforce it. The apse is the only part still carrying the mark of the initial Romance style.

Above the sacristy the bell-tower on four floors is, with a lantern. Its construction was started in 1390 with Cecho de Monopoli, and several other local Masters worked there during the period of 1404 to 1531; one raises on this bell-tower the styles Gothic, rebirth and baroque. Its construction was completed only at the 18th century. The bell-tower has three old bells, molten in Raguse: the first of 1463, work of Bartolomeo de Cremona; the second of 1515, melted by Jean-Baptiste de Rab; and the third of 1622, by Gaudencije Lastovac (Gaudentius de Lastovo).

Visit: opened the every day, from April to November, of 9:00 to 18:00 (17 H from December to March).

Paying entry: 20 kunas.

Addresses: ulica Svetog Dominika, 4.

The most beautiful element is the immense painted crucifix (1394), of Byzantine influence, offered in ex-voto after the great epidemic of plague of 1394.

A table of Titien rests above high altar.

One notices also amusing it carved pulpit or the lying ones of stone sealed in the wall.

The concerts of the sacred music within the framework of the Festival of summer of Dubrovnik proceed in the beautiful church of the monastery, whose extraordinary acoustics and a majestic interior decoration reserves to the visitors unforgettable moments.

One enters the church by the cloister.

This splendid neogothic cloister of the 15th century, which associates Gothic elements and Rebirth, was built between 1456 and 1483, according to the design of the Master Florentin of the middle of the 15th century, Maso di Bartolomeo. He belongs to the architectural achievements most sumptuous of the Dalmatian flowered Gothic.

During the Napoleonean occupation, the monastery of Dominican was requisitioned to lodge the troops and the cloister sheltered the horses: one still sees between the columns on the southern part the cavities dug to make them drink.

Free access in winter.

The monastery has an invaluable collection of gold goldsmitheries of great artistic value manufactured by the craftsmen ragusains, among whom the admirable chalices, the monstrance in Gothic style rebirth and the silver cross are most remarkable.

Among the collections of reliquaries and crowned objects, is distinguished silver, a shape censer of ship (the n° 7, 16th century), manufactured in Dubrovnik, to recall the maritime vocation of the city, on the delicate finger reliquary of saint Dominique, out of money, vermeil and field raised (15th century) or on the heads reliquaries.

The mezzanine presents some examples of jewels traditional ex-votos, giving an idea of the regional style, with the pearls and charms in gold filigree which one still finds in the folk costumes and the jewelleries of the city. With the wall, a small fragment of tympanum préroman (Xe-11th century) raises the braids and geometrical reasons characteristic of this period.

Among works of old painters, the crucifix painted of the large Venetian artist Paolo Veneziano, work of a great artistic value (14th century), the painting of furnace bridge “Holy Madeleine and holy Blaise” (1550) of Titien (16th century), a table which testifies to the wealth of the generous giver (it is reproduced besides on the line of painting), the icons of the Masters of Crete and of Venice (16th century) and the diptych of the Masters florentins (16th century) are most remarkable.

The monastery has also a rich collection of invaluable pictorial works carried out by the great painters ragusains:

• the sumptuous polyptyque one of the “Baptism of Christ” (1448) and the “Polyptyque” of Lovro Dobričević (15th century), a local artist who retains the glance for his Renaissance style and his Italian influence;
• the “triptych” of Mihajlo Hamzić (16th century);
• several tables of Nikola Božidarević (beginning 16th century), of which the “Triptych” representing, between the hands of the Saint Blaise, the town of Dubrovnik of the beginning of the 16th century and its superb “Annunciation” (1513). The triptych of Nikola Božidarević deserves that one is delayed there because it appears a saint Blaise holding the city such as it was before the great earthquake. One observes thus that the ramparts were very different and than the bell-towers were pointed…
• the collection contains several works of Vlaho Bukovac, celebrates Croatian, native painter of Cavtat (20th century), of which the painting of furnace bridge “Miracle of saint Dominique”;
• One also finds works of the modern painter there dubrovnikois Ivo Dulčić.

Between 15th and 17th centuries, it was one of the largest libraries of Europe.