It seems that this territory was first established as a Greek colony and afterward as 'Ragusium' by the Romans in the 7th c. The earliest occupants took advantage of the steep shoreline, a cliff, for fortification. The old fort was built in the 15th c.
Historically the city has been involved in a lot of waring conflicts and as a result has changed hands many times since the early Greek occupation. The most recent was the Croatian War of Independence - 1991-92. At that time there was significant civil unrest and many people died as a result. During our visit we saw little sign of that war.
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The old fort - known as Minceta Tower.
This feature dominates the landscape. |
Bob and Sam |
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St. Saviour Church This is a much larger church - it has a lot of side altars. |
Holy Annunciation Orthodox Church Just off the main square. |
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There are many churches in this small town and they all seem to be Christian. This is the site of the cloister of the Dominican monastery, 15th century. |
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The wall surrounds the old city. They have used the features of the wall to their advantage like the little cafe above - it seems to just hang outside the wall.
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Residences, shops, cafes...all here...tucked in off the steps. |
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We felt like we were intruding as we walked by this private space that was very open for everyone to see. |
The Franjo Tudman Bridge. The new contrasting with the old! |