Franciscan Monastery and Museum, Dubrovnik Old Town
Just inside the Gate of Pile, in the Old City of Dubrovnik, lies the Franciscan Monastery. Its distinctive bell tower is a well-known landmark, featuring in many images of the city.
The monastery as it stands today is a reconstruction of a monastery belonging to the Friars Minor, with a history in Dubrovnik that goes back to medieval times. Originally built outside the city walls in the 13th century, the monastery was later relocated inside the walls near the Pile Gate. The monastery was moved inside the city because the residents were ever-vigilant against invaders. The nearby monastery outside the walls, if it fell to a hostile army, could be easily defended and would make the city more vulnerable. Furthermore, situating the monks within the city and just beyond the gate was intended to make them the first line of defense should the gate be breached. Having no wives or children to protect freed the monks to fight at the gate instead of defending their homes.
Devastated by the earthquake of 1667, the monastery was painstakingly rebuilt, revised, and expanded over the centuries. Due to the many extensions and enhancements over the years, the present monastery complex forms a remarkable record of the many architectural styles and movements. The interior of the church is Baroque, while the complex also contains a Renaissance cloister and a Romanesque-Gothic cloister. The extraordinary portal over the door on Stradun street was sculpted by local masters in 1498, and is one of the few pieces that survived the earthquake.
The Franciscan monastery complex includes:
The Church. The Baroque interior of the church has a single nave, and includes many extraordinary pieces of art. The marble pulpit is another survivor of the earthquake, and poet Ivan Gundulić is interred inside the church.
The Pharmacy. The pharmacy originally opened in 1317, and is the third oldest still-functioning pharmacy in the world, and the first pharmacy in Europe that was open to the general public. The friars had treated lepers in their old monastery outside the city walls, and were permitted to offer medical care to the public as a source of service and income. Today, visitors to the pharmacy can also buy beauty products crafted from local ingredients and ancient recipes.
The Library. Built in the 1700s, the library houses over 20,000 books, and thousands of old manuscripts and liturgical artifacts. The musical archives of the library contain over 7000 compositions, many of which have not yet been catalogued, but more than 100 of them are known to be unique in the world.
The Cloister. The cloister is considered by many to be one of the most peaceful and beautiful spots in Old Town, and among the finest examples of late Romanesque architecture in Dalmatia. Surrounded by 120 columns, each capital is unique and painstakingly carved with different figures. In hot noisy summers, the cloister is a garden oasis, and visitors enjoy relaxing in the quiet atmosphere
Admission to the monastery is approximately $4.50, and well worth it for the peaceful ambience, beautiful architecture, and insight into the long history of Dubrovnik.
We know that unlike many of our well-trodden destinations, Croatia may seem like a step out of the comfort zone. But don’t let a few strange letters of their alphabet scare you off! Once you check out our brief eBook about what to expect on your first trip to Dubrovnik, you will realize that it is much more simple that you imagine. Download it right here:
{{cta(‘8408d397-727c-43f2-9e6c-a97a0414b08f’)}}
