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When Dubrovnik was an independent republic, the chief citizen, the Rector, resided in this imposing 15th-century palace, the cityu2019s dominant historic monument, today the cityu2019s museum, with period furniture, medieval paintings and costumes showing how local aristocrats once lived
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CROATIA 21 Dubrovnik The Rector's Palace 2
The Rector's Palace is a palace in the city of Dubrovnik that used to serve as the seat of the Rector of the Republic of Ragusa between the 14th century and 1808. It was also the seat of the Minor Council and the state administration. Furthermore it housed an armoury, the powder magazine, the watch house and a prison. Like the Republic itself, this building experienced a stormy history; it was destroyed in gunpowder explosions several times and shaken on several occasions by earthquakes
The Republic of Ragusa, or Republic of Dubrovnik was a maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik (Ragusa in Italian and Latin) in Dalmatia (today in southernmost Croatia), that existed from 1358 to 1808
The Republic of Ragusa reached its commercial peak in the 15th and the 16th centuries, before being conquered by Napoleon's French Empire in 1808
The Republic of Ragusa had a population of about 30,000 people, out of whom 5,000 lived within the city walls
The Dubrovnik Rector lived in the palace for the duration of his one month mandate (without his family). He was permitted to leave the palace only on official business; otherwise leaving the palace was forbidden
In addition to his many state tasks, a special ceremony was held every evening in which he accepted the keys to the city gates which he was responsible for overnight, so that no one could enter into the town through the night
In the morning, a similar ceremony was held in which he returned the keys. And that was the way it was for centuries, until the fall of the Republic
The Gothic-Renaissance Rector’s Palace was built in the late 15th century and is adorned with outstanding sculptural ornamentation
The Palace retains a striking compositional unity despite being rebuilt many times
The palace was built for the rector who governed Dubrovnik, and it contains the rector’s office, his private chambers, public halls and administrative offices
Ragusa Republic’s motto was "Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro", which translated from Latin means "Liberty is not well sold for all the gold"
Today the palace has been turned into a museum with artfully restored rooms, portraits, coats-of-arms and coins, evoking the glorious history of Dubrovnik
The atrium is often used for concerts during the Summer Festival
The atrium is ornamented with a small fountain from the 15th century and the bust of one of the most deserved sons of Dubrovnik, the sailor Miho Pracat. The only plebeian whose statue was erected during the life of the Dubrovnik Republic
This humble monument, erected on a decision of the Republic in 1638, is the work of Italian sculptor Piero Paolo Giacometti. It is a great and the only recognition of its kind, granted by the Republic to an ordinary citizen throughout its entire long history
All the clocks in the palace have stopped at 5.45pm – the time that Napoleon Bonaparte captured the palace back in 1806
Miho Pracat was a rich seaman from the Island of Lopud, who left his wealth to the Republic. This powerful ship-owner and accomplished merchant was shown the way to success by a little tenacious lizard. Watching its two attempts to climb the wall of his fathers house, two downfalls and eventually the third successful climbing to the top, Pracat realised the importance of persistence. This encouraged him to make a new start after his business repeatedly collapsed and his ships and their cargo ended up at the bottom of the sea. During one of his voyages Pracat broke the pirate siege and brought the ships loaded with corn to the hungry people of Charles the Fifth. The king granted Pracat an audience during his morning shaving! In addition to numerous compliments and astute glances, he offered Pracat honours and gold. The shrewd man of Lopud responded in kind: he refused all gifts and requested the kings serviette, which is now displayed at the museum situated on Pracats native island.
