This article is also available in: Italian
The circle of walls of Ragusa (Dubrovnik) still encloses within it one of the most beautiful and best preserved historical centers of the entire Dalmatian coast.
You enter the historic center of Dubrovnik through the monumental Pile Gate. Here we immediately find a square overlooked by the church of St. Savior (Sv. Spas), the Franciscan monastery (Franjevacki Samostan) and the convent of St. Clare (Samostan Sv. Klare). In the center of the square is the monumental Onofrio Fountain, built by Onofrio de la Cava from Salerno between 1438 and 1444. In this area of the city, the Franciscan monastery is worth a visit with an interesting museum of sacred art and pharmaceutical instruments and a beautiful 13th century cloister.
From the square with the fountain begins the main street of the historic center of Ragusa (Dubrovnik), the Stradùn (Placa), this straight street was built over a canal that once separated the city. This street was paved in 1468. The design of the Stradun dates back to the 13th century but a large portion of the buildings facing it were destroyed in the 1667 earthquake so that the original facades of the buildings (Gothic and Renaissance) were replaced by Baroque facades.
THE LOGGIA SQUARE
At the opposite end of the Stradùn you arrive in the heart of the ancient Republic of Ragusa, the Loggia square (Luza) overlooked by interesting buildings: the Sponza palace, a building in Gothic and Renaissance style, which was built starting from 1312, and was used initially as a mint and then as a customs house. The clock tower, rebuilt in the 20th century. The Gran Guardia palace, from the 18th century. The church of St Blaise (Sv. Vlaho), in Venetian Baroque style from the 17th century.
THE PALACE OF THE RECTORS
Finally, still on the same square is the Palazzo dei Rettori (Rectors’ Palace), seat of the republic of Ragusa, a building built by Onofrio de la Cava from Salerno in 1435, to which the Florentine Michelozzo Michelozzi added a magnificent portico in 1465. Inside, the courtyard is very beautiful, also the work of Onofrio de la Cava. The Rectors’ Palace (Knezev Dvor) now houses the Dubrovnik Museum (Dubrovacki muzej) which narrates the history of the city with paintings, furniture, coins and documents of the ancient republic of Ragusa.
Beyond the Rectors’ Palace is the Cathedral of St. Mary Major (Velika Gospa), in Baroque style, built between 1671 and 1713 by Andrea Buffalini and Paolo Andreotti, and dominated by the dome of 1713. Inside the Latin cross church with three naves, there is the treasure of the Cathedral with numerous gold reliquaries. From here, through a gate, you reach the port, dominated by the fortress of Saint John and the Rivellino.
A short distance from the Cathedral is Piazza delle Erbe (Gunduliceva poljana), where the city market takes place. A little further uphill you reach the Jesuit church of St. Ignatius (Sv. Ignacije), a building completed in 1725, with a beautiful staircase from 1738.
THE DOMINICAN MONASTERY
From Sponza Palace, continuing towards Ploce Gate, you arrive at the beautiful complex of the Dominican monastery (Dominikanski samostan). This is a building originally from the 14th century and rebuilt after the 1667 earthquake, rich in works of art and home to the Dominican Museum (Muzej dominikanskog samostan), which houses goldsmith’s works, paintings, sacred art objects. The monastery houses the church of St. Dominic, with a 13th-century portal, the chapel of St. Sebastian and a beautiful 15th-century Gothic cloister by the Florentine Maso di Bartolomeo.
Finally, to end the tour in the historic center of Dubrovnik, it is interesting to take a walk in the Pustijerna district located, still in the historic center, close to the southern walls. This district is full of narrow streets and suggestive views. In this area of the city there is also the building of the Rupe, built as a granary between 1542-1590, it has 15 large wells dug into the rock. The Rupe now houses a museum with tools of daily life and archaeological remains.
To finish or start an itinerary in the historic center of Dubrovnik, a tour of the city walls is one of the must-do things.Booking.com
This article is also available in: Italian
Mzunguko wa kuta za Ragusa (Dubrovnik) bado unajumuisha ndani yake moja ya vituo vya kihistoria vyenye kupendeza zaidi na vilivyohifadhiwa vizuri zaidi katika pwani nzima ya Dalmatian. Unaweza kuingia katika kitovu cha kihistoria cha Dubrovnik kupitia Lango la Pile lenye kuvutia. Hapa mara moja tunapata mraba unaotazamwa na kanisa la Mkombozi Mtakatifu (Sv. Spas), monasteri ya Franciscan (Franjevacki Samostan) na convent ya Mtakatifu Clare (Samostan Sv. Klare). Chanzo cha maji cha Onofrio, kilichojengwa na Onofrio de la Cava, ni moja ya vituo vya maji vya zamani zaidi nchini Italia. Katika eneo hili la mji, monasteri ya Franciscan inafaa kutembelewa na jumba la makumbusho la kuvutia la sanaa takatifu na vyombo vya dawa na cloister nzuri ya karne ya 13. Kutoka mraba na chemchemi huanza barabara kuu ya kituo cha kihistoria cha Ragusa (Dubrovnik), Straduna (Placa), barabara hii moja kwa moja ilijengwa juu ya mfereji ambao wakati mmoja ulitenganisha mji. Barabara hii iliwekwa katika mwaka wa 1468. Straduna ni moja ya majengo ya zamani zaidi ya karne ya 13 na iliharibiwa katika tetemeko la ardhi la 1667, na façades za awali za majengo ya Gothic na Renaissance zilibadilishwa na façades za Baroque. Sehemu ya pili ya barabara ya Stradivarius ni uwanja wa Loggia, ambayo ni sehemu ya zamani ya Jamhuri ya Ragusa, na ambayo ina majengo ya kipekee, kama vile Sponza Palace, ambayo ilijengwa mnamo 1312 na kutumika kama mint na baadaye kama nyumba ya forodha. Mnara wa saa ulijengwa upya katika karne ya 20. Jumba la kifalme la Gran Guardia, lililojengwa mnamo karne ya 18 Kanisa la St Blaise (Sv. Vlaho, katika mtindo wa Baroque wa Venetian kutoka karne ya 17. Jumba la kifalme la Palazzo dei Rettori, lililojengwa na Onofrio de la Cava, kutoka Salerno, Italia, mnamo 1435, na kuunganishwa na ukumbi wa kifalme wa Michelozzo Michelozzi wa Florence mnamo 1465. Ndani, ua ni mzuri sana, pia kazi ya Onofrio de la Cava. Jumba la Rectors'(Knezev Dvor) sasa nyumba Dubrovnik Makumbusho (Dubrovacki muzej) ambayo inaelezea historia ya mji na michoro, fanicha, sarafu na nyaraka ya zamani Jamhuri ya Ragusa. Kanisa kuu la St. Mary Major (Velika Gospa) lilijengwa kati ya 1671 na 1713 na Andrea Buffalini na Paolo Andreotti. Ndani ya kanisa la msalaba wa Kilatini lenye ngazi tatu, kuna hazina ya Kanisa Kuu lenye vitu vingi vya dhahabu. Kutoka hapa, kupitia lango, unafika bandari, inayoongozwa na ngome ya Mtakatifu Yohana na Rivellino. Karibu na Kanisa Kuu kuna Piazza delle Erbe (Gunduliceva poljana), ambako soko la jiji hufanywa. Ukipanda mlimani kidogo, utafika kwenye kanisa la St. Ignatius (Sv. Ignatius, jengo lililokamilika mwaka wa 1725, na ngazi nzuri kutoka 1738. Mnara wa Dominika ni sehemu ya mji wa Sponza, karibu na mji wa Ploce, na ni sehemu ya Dominika. Jengo hilo lilijengwa baada ya tetemeko la ardhi la mwaka 1667 na lina vitu vingi vya sanaa, na ni makao ya Jumba la Makumbusho la Dominika (Muzej Dominikanski Samostan), ambalo lina kazi za madini ya dhahabu, michoro, na vitu vya sanaa. Mji huo una kanisa la Mtakatifu Dominic, na portal ya karne ya 13, kanisa la Mtakatifu Sebastian na nyumba nzuri ya karne ya 15 ya Gothic iliyoundwa na Florentine Maso di Bartolomeo. Kwa hivyo, kwa sababu ya kuwa na uzoefu wa kupendeza katika jiji la Dubrovnik, ni muhimu kutembelea eneo la Pustovnica, ambalo ni moja ya maeneo ya kusini ya jiji. Wilaya hii imejaa barabara nyembamba na mandhari yenye kuvutia. Jengo la Rupe, lililojengwa kama ghala kati ya 1542 na 1590, lina visima 15 vikubwa vilivyochimbwa ndani ya mwamba. Sasa Rupe ina jumba la makumbusho lenye vifaa vya maisha ya kila siku na mabaki ya kiakiolojia. Kwa hivyo, ikiwa unataka kuona mambo ya ndani ya jiji la Dubrovnik, unaweza kutembelea eneo la mji wa Dubrovnik na kuona jinsi inavyoonekana katika eneo la mji wa Dubrovnik.