Europe

Croatia
Dubrovnik  or Ragusa
priory

 A brief description.
The complex of church and priory of the Dominicans in Dubrovnik was located at the most sensitive strategic point of the city. This is why in documents dating from the early years of the 14th century the government insists on allocating financial help to the Dominicans, whose monastery was “the defence and salvation of the city".

Its construction began in 1228 and was of vital importance for Dubrovnik strategists. It was quite protracted, so that it was only in the 15th century that the monastery attained its present contours, so perfectly integrated into the arrangement of the city walls.

The Dominican church of Dubrovnik could also be considered the graveyard of its most famous dead. Located in various places all over the church: in the nave, chapter, sacristy as well as the cloisters, are the graves of the noble families Crijeviæ, Lukareviæ, Gradiæ, Gunduliæ and Ðurðeviæ, as well as the graves of notable craftsmen, goldsmiths, wool combers and weavers.

 

In the sacristy is the grave of Pero Pantela, manufacturer and first Dubrovnik “capitalist”. Also the grave of an important Croatian poet, Dinko Ranjina, born in 1536, died in 1607. He was one of the most notable poets of Dubrovnik.

Through the centuries, a very rich library collection was also collected at the Dominican monastery. Today it contains two hundred and thirty-nine incunabula; this fact alone gives it a special place among the Dubrovnik libraries, not to speak of precious manuscripts.

An interesting old Cyrillic item is also kept by the Ragusan Dominicans. It is the cross that belonged to the Serbian King Stjepan Uroš II Milutin, containing a piece from the holy cross and four inscriptions in Cyrillic, threatening with a special malediction anyone who destroyed or harmed it.

The priory has many famous paintings; among others the great painted cross (ca 1360) by the Venetian artist Paolo Veneziano;  a polyptychon (1448) by Lovro Dobricević (1444-1478), with Saint Dominic and Peter Martyr; The Holy Family by Lorenzo di Credi (1456-1537, and a panel by Nikola Bozidarevic    (ca.1476-1517/18), with St. Dominic and St. Peter Martyr.

The pulpit of the church (16th century) has a relief with four Dominicans: Catherine of Siena (?), Dominic, Thomas Aquinas and St. Peter Martyr.

 

Philately

There are many stamps with a view on Dubrovnik, but it is difficult to find the location of the priory with church.

Yugoslavia
1947, Mi 316,318,320; C16,18,20; 1951, Mi 650A; Sc C40.
1959, Mi 871, Sc 537.

Polyptychon (1448) by Lovro Dobricević (1444-1478), Christ's Baptism for the high altar of the church, with
 at the top on the left Peter, Dominic, Peter Martyr and Francis.


 

On the central part on the left Archangel Michael and others.

Yugoslavia 1963, Mi 1060, Sc 716.

 

 

Saint Blaise (Blasius) with the model of Dubrovnik from the tryptichon by Nikola Bozidarević (ca.1476-1517), ordered by the family Bundic for the church.
On the panel on the right Thomas Aquinas with the model of the church.

 

   

  Yugoslavia 1990, Mi 2451, Sc 2074.

 

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