Dubrovnik and Dalmacija travel guide

Left Dubrovnik Painting Middle Stone relief of St Francis Right Re-creation of the old pharmacy
Franciscan Monastery Museum
Dubrovnik Painting
This painting is a
revealing insight into how
medieval Dubrovnik
looked, before the
devastating earthquake of
1667 felled the city.
Missile Damage
On 6 December 1991,
known locally as “Black
Tuesday”, Serbian missiles
reigned down on Dubrovnik.
Two shell-holes have been left
in the museum walls to serve
as reminders of the damage
sustained by the monastery.
Missile damage
War Record
Inconspicuously located
below the painting of Dubrovnik
is a book cataloguing the
devastation caused by the
54 direct hits upon the
monastery during the siege
of the city in 1991–2.
Missiles
Tucked into a corner, by a
bench near the entrance to the
museum, lie the casings of some
of the missiles that wrought
destruction on this tranquil space.
Portrait of St Blaise
St Blaise’s Foot
The most prized
possession in the
reliquary collection is
this foot of St Blaise,
preserved in a boot-like
gold and silver case.
Religious Painting
The highlight of the
museum’s collection of
religious art is a 15thcentury
portrait of St Blaise, set
against a striking gold backdrop.
Osman
One of the treasures of
the museum’s library is an
18th-century transcript of Ivan
Gunduli’s Osman. Heralded
as the poet’s masterpiece, it
celebrates a famous Slavic
victory over the Turks.
Potions and Poisons
Set in a re-creation of the
monastery’s original pharmacy
are row upon row of measuring
instruments and traditional
remedies, some lethal poisons.
Stone Reliefs
A small open space to one
side of the museum contains odd
remnants of carved masonry from
the building, including gargoyles
and segments of old gravestones.
St Francis
The medieval stone relief of
St Francis, above the museum
entrance, appears to be casting a
protective eye over his domain.
Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast
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