Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 148

ornate device with detailed sculpture work. People fill water bottles and soak bandan-
nas in the cold water, especially in summer when Dubrovnik is steamy.
The Stradun (aka Placa) is Dubrovnik's main thoroughfare. It runs from the
Pile Gate through Old Town to the Plo c e Gate and is paved with limestone buffed to
a smooth, shiny surface by tourist footfall. The Stradun is lined with neat, uniform
buildings housing shops, restaurants, and entryways to alley-size streets. Historical
pictures show that Dubrovnik's pre-1667-earthquake buildings were far more ornate
than the present structures.
St. Saviour Church The Renaissance-Gothic facade of this small church faces
the large Onofrio Fountain inside the Pile Gate. St. Saviour was built in the early 16th
century and it is one of the few structures not damaged in the 1667 quake.
Between the Pile Gate and the Franciscan Monastery at Stradun 2. Daily 9am-7pm.
Franciscan Monastery A small apothecary inside the 14th-century
monastery complex has been in business in 1317 and claims to be the oldest working
pharmacy in Europe. It has a fascinating display of ancient lab equipment, mortars,
measuring implements, and decorative containers used over the centuries. The
monastery itself is accessed via a narrow passage from St. Saviour's Church; the com-
plex's Romanesque cloister is the monastery's most compelling feature (the post-
quake Renaissance cloister is open to Franciscans only). The lower cloister's open wall
of double columns (topped with human, animal, and plant carvings) frame a tranquil
open garden area where you can imagine monks enjoying the contemplative life. The
complex also is home to a 15th-century well, the single-nave St. Francis Church, a
bell tower, and the monastery museum, whose library contains ancient writings,
music manuscripts, gold and silver objets d'art, and other items that illuminate
Dubrovnik's history.
Monastery museum 20kn ($3.50/30p) adults; 10kn ($1.75/90p) children. July-Aug 9am-6pm daily. Erratic hours other
times of the year.

LUZ A SQUARE
The eastern end of the Stradun opens into busy Lu z a Square , which is an Old
Town crossroads where tourists stop at Onofrio's Little Fountain, explore exhibits in
Sponza Palace, meet friends at the city bell tower, take a bijela kava break at the
Gradska Kavana, or sit on the steps of St. Blaise Church. Lu z a Square is also where
Dubrovnik's Summer Festival kicks off
The likeness of a warrior is chiseled into the stone Orlando's Column in the
center of Lu z a Square and represents the legendary hero who reputedly was Charle-
magne's nephew. The column was erected in 1419 and once served as the city's forum

Getting Stoned
When you leave St. Saviour Church for the Franciscan monastery next door,
keep your eyes downcast and you'll see a 12

Fun Fact

12-inch stone with a carved face
and smooth top protruding about 6 inches above the street. You'll also see a
crowd watching people attempting to stand on the stone for a few seconds.
Legend says that guys who can stay on the stone known as the “Mask” long
enough to remove their shirts will have good luck. (Girls also try this but are
entitled to the luck without removing their shirts.)

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