The exhibition "Dubrovnik and UNESCO," held in the Rector’s Palace as part of the celebration of the "Year of UNESCO World Heritage in Dubrovnik," has been extended until November 3, 2024. Organized by the Dubrovnik Museums and the State Archives in Dubrovnik, the exhibition showcases valuable archival materials from the period of the Republic of Dubrovnik (1022–1808), which were added to UNESCO’s "Memory of the World" list at the end of 2023. The exhibition also features items from the rich collections of Dubrovnik Museums, divided into seven thematic sections: the Feast of St. Blaise, Patron of Dubrovnik; Croatian Lacemaking; Klapa Singing; Mediterranean Diet of the Croatian Adriatic, its coastline, islands, and part of the hinterland; the Art of Dry-Stone Walling; Falconry; and Transhumance – Seasonal Livestock Migration.
In 1278, the Republic of Dubrovnik established a permanent notary service that recorded all daily trade, sales, marriage, and other contracts, as well as various certificates, wills, and everyday activities of both the common people and the nobility until the Republic’s abolition in 1808. The records preserved in the State Archives in Dubrovnik serve as a rich historical resource, allowing for an in-depth study of Dubrovnik’s past and the daily lives of its former inhabitants, while also offering insights into the city’s legal and governmental organization.
The project leader and exhibition concept author is museum advisor Ivona Michl. The visual setup, along with Ivona Michl, was designed by Željko Ćatić, with graphic design by Studio m&m, multimedia by Studio Beluga, Pixel Design, and Vizir, while Marin Kaporelo curated the music. The materials on display were also loaned by the City of Dubrovnik, the Collegiate Church of St. Blaise, the Natural History Museum Dubrovnik, Teo Grbić, Krešimir Magdić, and Matko Vierda.