Dubrovnik is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean, a sea port and the center of the Dubrovnik-Neretva County.
In 1979, the city was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in recognition of its outstanding medieval culture and fortified old town. The history of the city dates back to the 7th century, when it was founded by refugees from Epidaurum. It was then known as Ragusa. It was under the protection of the Byzantine Empire and later under the sovereignty of the Republic of Venice. Between the 14th and 19th centuries, Dubrovnik ruled as a free state. The city's prosperity was historically based on maritime trade. As the capital of the Maritime Republic, Dubrovnik reached a high level of development, especially in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was then that he became known for his skillful diplomacy and his wealth. Dubrovnik also became the cradle of Croatian literature. The main street in Dubrovnik is known as Stradun. The pedestrian street is paved with limestone and runs about 300 meters through the old town, which is surrounded by the famous Dubrovnik walls. The complex of the Franciscan monastery is located in this area, opposite the famous Great Onorfi's Fountain. The monastery complex includes a church, cloister and garden, a museum and an old pharmacy, which is the oldest still operating pharmacy in Europe. Parts of the complex have been rebuilt several times. The monastery church was destroyed in an earthquake in 1667. Among the many losses was the statue of Pietro di Martino da Milan. The ornate portal is the only element that has survived and overlooks the beginning of the Place, the city's main street. The portal was carved in the Gothic style in 1498 in the workshop of the brothers Peter and Leonard Petrovic. The pieta in the central lunette is almost life-size. It is decorated with luxurious leaves and is surrounded by figures of St. John the Baptist and St. Jerome holding a model of the pre-earthquake monastery church. At the top of the lunette is the figure of the Father Creator. The interior of the church was remodeled in the baroque style with one nave. The main altar from 1713 is the work of the sculptor Celia from Ancona. It is distinguished by a statue of the resurrected Christ between four wrapped marble columns. The five side altars were sculpted by the Venetian Giuseppe Sardi between 1684 and 1696.
The decoration on the altar of St. Francis is the work of the painter Celestin Medovic from 1888. The marble pulpit survived the earthquake of 1667. Ivan Gundulic, the famous Dubrovnik baroque poet, playwright and writer, is buried in the church.