Saturday, 15 February 2025

Fascinating things you probably didn't know about Dubrovnik by The Telegraph

Written by  Nov 08, 2016

Every now and then Dubrovnik pops up as a topic in world media. Recently British Telegraph has published a list of 10 fascinanting things you probably didn't know about Dubrovnik

1. It once saved an English king's life
- Richard the Lionheart was caught in a storm in 1192 off Croatian coast and legend says he promised to God that if he survives he'll build a cathedral on the land where he gets off the ship. It was on Lokrum, but apparently, he was convinced to make it in the Old City.
2. It’s best mates with the USA
- Dubrovnik had a key role in the blossoming independence of the United States. The newly-born US did a deal with Ragusa and hides arrived from Baltimore, New York and Philadelphia. It is also said that Dubrovnik was the first state in the world to recognise the United States of America back in 1783.
3. Its thicker-than-thick city walls have never been breached
- The City Walls are truly a wonder of Dubrovnik.
4. It was involved in Europe’s most recent war
- Dubrovnik was really affected by Croatian War of Independence or the Homeland War – 88 civilians and 194 military personnel died and there was a severe damage on the buildings.
5. It’s a regular on the silver screen
- Game of Thrones, Star Wars and now Robin Hood!
6. It’s cut off from the rest of Croatia
- The city of Neum, placed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, cuts Dubrovnik from the rest of Croatia. Republic of Dubrovnik was forced it to sell two patches of land to the Ottomans, and the Bosnian corridor was one of them, all in order to raise a bit of cash and halt the Venetian forces advancing from the north.
7. It’s home to the world’s oldest pharmacy
- Europe's longest operating pharmacy, and one of the oldest in the world, is located inside Dubrovnik's Franciscan Monastery, founded in 1317.
8. It has some famous fans
- Lord Byron called it 'Pearl of Adriatic' and George Bernard Shaw said: ''Those who seek paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik''.
9. It's always been against slavery
- 600 years ago slavery was banned in The Republic of Dubrovnik and just to compare: the slave trade was not banned in Britain until 1833, and in the US until 1865.
10. It shows its age
- Due to its age and civilised start to life, Dubrovnik lays claim to a number of world firsts (not just the pharmacy). It has one of the earliest medieval sewage systems, installed in 1296, and still used today, as well as one of the first quarantine facilities, established in 1377. Likewise, the orphanage set up in 1432 as part of the Monastery of St Clare was one of the first such institutions in the world – writes the Telegraph.
For more details visit the original article.

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THE VOICE OF DUBROVNIK


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