Sights in Dubrovnik - Croatia and Slovenia - page 483

Cost and Hours: 30 kn, art buffs enjoy the 50-kn English book, daily April-Oct
9:00-18:00, Nov-March 9:00-17:00.
Visiting the Museum: Turn left from the entry and work your way clockwise around
the cloister. The room in the far corner contains paintings from the “Dubrovnik School,”
the Republic's circa-1500 answer to the art boom in Florence and Venice. Though the 1667
earthquakedestroyedmostofthesepaintings,aboutadozensurvive,andfiveofthosearein
this room. Don't miss the triptych by Nikola Božidarovi ć with St. Blaise holding a detailed
model of 16th-century Dubrovnik (left panel)—the most famous depiction of Dubrovnik's
favorite saint. You'll also see reliquaries shaped like the hands and feet that they hold.
Continuing around the courtyard, duck into the next room. Here you'll see a painting by
Titian depicting St. Blaise, Mary Magdalene, and the donor who financed this work.
At the next corner of the courtyard is the entrance to the striking church at the heart of
this still-active monastery. Step inside. The interior is decorated with modern stained glass,
afine13th-centurystonepulpitthatsurvivedtheearthquake(remindingvisitorsoftheintel-
lectual approach to scripture that characterized the Dominicans), and a precious 14th-cen-
tury Paolo Veneziano crucifix hanging above the high altar. Behind the altar, find the Vuko-
var Cross, embedded with panels painted by different artists from the Croatian school of
NaiveArt—offeringanenticingtasteofthisuniqueandfascinatingstyle(formoreonNaive
Art, see here ) . Perhaps the finest piece of art in the church is the Miracle of St. Dominic,
showing the founder of the order bringing a child back to life (over the altar to the right, as
you enter). It was painted in the Realist style (late 19th century) by Vlaho Bukovac.