Location: Poljana M Držića
Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary or
Dubrovnik Cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed
Virgin Mary (Velika Gospa). It is the seat of the Dubrovnik diocese.
It was built on the site of the Byzantine and Romanesque cathedrals,
destroyed in the great earthquake of 1667. The current baroque
cathedral was built from 1671 to 1713.
According to legend,
the Romanesque cathedral from the 12th century was built with the
money of the English king Richard I the Lionheart, who survived a
shipwreck not far from Lokrum, after returning from the Third
Crusade in 1192. As a sign of gratitude, he gave 100,000 ducats,
which was a lot of money at the time. It was the first Romanesque
basilica on the eastern Adriatic and influenced church architecture
in the entire region. She was unusually tall. It can be seen in the
pictures of Dubrovnik before the earthquake in 1667. In that
earthquake, the cathedral was completely destroyed. A nearby
baptismal font survived, but was no longer used. The role of the
cathedral was temporarily taken over by the church of St. Vlah.
A great contribution to the rebuilding of the cathedral was made
by the priest and diplomat Stjepan Gradić. He acquired a lot of
money and found the architect Andrea Buffalini from Urbino. His
drafts were accepted in 1671 by the Dubrovnik Senate, which at the
time tended to save money. The cathedral was completed in the
Baroque style in 1713. The Senate placed a marble plaque on the
facade in gratitude to Stjepan Gradić. The opening of the cathedral
was a great ceremony.
The interior of the cathedral is
sumptuous. Above the main altar is the painting "The Assumption of
Mary" from the 16th century, signed by the famous Italian painter
Titian. The unique altar of St. John of Nepomuk is made of purple
marble.
Many gold and silver reliquaries, crosses, church
utensils and paintings by Italian, Flemish and Croatian painters are
kept in the treasury of the cathedral, including the painting "The
Virgin and Child" from the 16th century, based on the work of the
famous Italian painter Raphael. In the treasury is also a relic of
the head of St. Vlaha from the 11th-12th centuries. It is in the
shape of the crown of the Byzantine emperors. It is decorated with
enamel medallions and precious stones. It is the work of Dubrovnik
goldsmiths.
Interesting things
In the treasury of the
cathedral, the miraculous nappy of Jesus is kept, part of which is
kept in the Lateran Basilica.