Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Rector's Palace (Knežev Dvor)
In the Middle Ages, the Republic of Dubrovnik was ruled by a rector (similar to a Venetian
doge), who was elected by the nobility. To prevent any one person from becoming too
powerful, the rector's term was limited to one month. Most rectors were in their 50s—near
the end of the average life span and when they were less likely to shake things up. During
his term, a rector lived upstairs in this palace. Because it's been plundered twice (most re-
cently by Napoleon's forces, who stole all the furniture), this empty-feeling museum isn't
as interesting as most other European palaces. What little you'll see was donated by loc-
al aristocrats to flesh out the pathetically empty complex. The palace collection, which re-
