Local Life - St Helens - September 2020

38
Paradise
on Earth
Clinging to the southern tip of Croatia, Dubrovnik is a
lovely medieval jewel lapped by the blue waters of the
Adriatic. Framed by hills fragrant with rosemary and
thyme, the old town is enclosed by fortifications where
red roofs, spires and domes mingle their reflections in
a glistening harbour. Byron called it the ‘Pearl of the
Adriatic’ and graced by a sprinkling of emerald islands
just offshore, it feels almost like a dream. Dubrovnik long
prospered on maritime trade, ruled in turn by Byzantines
and Venetians until it became the Republic of Ragusa
in 1358, reaching its golden age in the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries. Rebuilt after the 1667 earthquake,
it lost its freedom under Napoleon then was taken over
by the Austro-Hungarian Empire until 1918. Upheavals
continued in the former Yugoslavia and in 1991-92, the
city was besieged and heavily damaged during Croatia’s
war of independence.But today, finely restored and listed
by UNESCO, the old town fills you with delight. Steps and
cobbled lanes climb up the slopes, sunflowers bloom in
hidden courtyards and church bells ring all around. Main
highlights are easy to find, from Gothic and Renaissance
buildings to Italian fountains, monasteries and churches.
The Franciscan monastery boasts one of the oldest
pharmacies in Europe (1316) while the Baroque church
of St Blaise displays the patron saint holding a model of
the city. The cathedral claims a rich treasury of relics and
paintings and a connection with Richard the Lionheart.
Caught in a storm on his way back from a crusade, he
promised to build a cathedral where he reached land.
And so he did, though what we see today was rebuilt after
the earthquake. Other cultural sites include the Sponza
Palace, housing 7,000 volumes of the city’s archives,
and the Rector’s Palace, former home of the Republic’s
figurehead and now the History Museum.Time to relax?
Watch the world go by on a café terrace, stroll along the