DUBROVNİK

Описание: Dubrovnik’s history witnesses the changing fortune of a borderland Mediterranean city-state that for centuries lived in harmony with its surroundings. Originally called Ragusa, the city was founded in the 7th century as a refuge for coastal residents fleeing the advancing barbarians. From the outset, the city was protected by defensive walls. The borderland status of the town was to be a determining factor in its history. Part of the Mediterranean cultural constellation, yet intimately connected to the Balkans. Catholic yet surrounded by Islamic and Orthodox neighbours. The new city-state used its status as a crossroads between cultures and civilisations. The city thrived through extensive trade with other maritime ports such as Genoa, Pisa and Venice. Its continental trade networks also extended its reach into the Balkans with the Ottoman Empire. At the beginning of the 13th century, Dubrovnik fell under the control of the most Serene Republic, staying under its control until 1358.

Towards the end of the Middle Ages, Dubrovnik’s maritime influence meant that it was the chief competitor of the Venetian empire for the Adriatic waterways. Its European educated diplomats and its widespread commerce allowed it to expand its influence beyond the Adriatic. Machiavelli was a notable luminary so impressed by the city that he applied to work there. City authorities were not impressed and turned him down.