Croatia - Eastern Europe - page 149

Who Is St. Blaise?
Legend says that St. Blaise once saved a child from choking on a fish bone.
Roman Catholics know the Armenian physician and martyr as the patron
saint of people with throat problems. However, the people of Dubrovnik
revere St. Blaise (Sv. Vlaho) as the hero who saved their city from a sneak
attack by Venetian galleys in the 10th century. According to legend, Vene-
tian ships dropped anchor off Lokrum to pick up fresh water for their jour-
ney, but the fleet was actually surveying the city in preparation for a
takeover. St. Blaise (martyred by Diocletian in 316 B . C .) appeared to the
cathedral's priest in a dream and told him about the nefarious plot, thus
thwarting the attack. Ever since, St. Blaise has been immortalized in sculp-
ture, art, and other media as the city's protector.
for public proclamations, notices, rallies, and punishments. In 1990 a flag with the
city's LIBERTAS motto was flown above the column, which became a rallying point for
Dubrovnik's freedom fighters.
As you approach Lu z a Square from the Stradun, you'll see the arches of the 15th-
century Sponza Palace ( & 020/321-032, free admission) on your left. Today the
Sponza is a venue for art exhibits and concerts. A 30m (100-ft.) bell tower next to the
palace tolls the hour.
St. Blaise is Dubrovnik's patron saint and St. Blaise Church on Lu z a Square,
open 8am to 7pm daily, was built between 1706 and 1714 on the site of a ruined
14th-century church. St. Blaise's wide staircase and terrace are popular with weary
tourists who settle there for a break, much the same as pigeons congregate on the
square itself. Inside, you'll find a silver-plated statue on the main altar depicting St.
Blaise holding a 15th-century model of the city as it was before the 1667 earthquake.
The original Dubrovnik Cathedral (Church of the Assumption) was built
between the 12th and 14th centuries atop the ruins of a Byzantine basilica at Poljana
Marina Dr z ica. According to legend, a grateful King Richard the Lionhearted
financed it to give thanks after being shipwrecked and rescued in Dubrovnik. It was
severely damaged in the 1667 earthquake and rebuilt in the au courant baroque style,
making it the third church to be constructed on this site. The cathedral's treasury
(10kn/$1.75/90p; Mon-Sat 9am-5:30pm, Sun 11am-5:30pm) holds the skull, arm,
and leg of St. Blaise, plated with gold and stashed behind a marble altar topped by
.9m-high (3-ft.) panels of glass.
The original 13th century Rector's Palace was destroyed in 1435 when gunpowder
stored inside exploded. The palace was rebuilt only to blow up again 28 years later.
The current palace resides on the original site just south of Lu z a Square at Pred
Dvorom 3 ( & 020/321-497; admission 15kn/$3/£1.35). Upstairs rooms now house
the City Museum (Gradski Muzej). Classical concerts are held in its courtyard dur-
ing the Summer Festival.
The 14th-century Dominican Monastery and Museum at Sv. Dominika 4
(Museum admission 10kn/$1.75/90p) are behind the Sponza Palace off a narrow pas-
sageway leading to the Plo c e Gate. Don't miss the museum, whose art collection
includes a reliquary containing the skull of King Stephen I of Hungary.