Dubrovnik Across the 20th Century
Part two of this mini-series about the "Pearl of the Adriatic"
…and it is the one in which we’ll talk a bit about the “canonised” image that were taken of Dubrovnik over the course of the 20th century.
Before we start, a bit more from Kaser (2001); for a reference, see the first part:
Historical signs and how they are ignored
The text of the impressively walled old city of Dubrovnik was basically written in the 14th century in relation to the town’s layout. At this time, the last phase of expansion was undertaken and the text received its essential features that were renewed in the 17th century. The names of roads and squares often derive from the prominent citizens of the ‘great’ age of the 15th and 16th centuries. We can presume that the collective memory of the people born and living in the city must be more or less shaped by this era. The names of the roads and piazzas in particular recall the city’s “golden” era for those who stroll through it.
Dubrovnik’s old centre has only five squares, as well as a tiny sixth one off the beaten track that will not be taken into account here. The names of the few squares have been carefully chosen.
Pasko Milicevic Square was named after the city’s greatest architect. Born in 1440, Milicevic fundamentally influenced the architecture of the city. He designed the sea fortifications and the port, built mills and heavy ship's artillery. He built a water system outside the town and planned a number of public and state buildings in the city and its surroundings. Dubrovnik’s most beautiful palace, the Sponza Palace with its features marking the transition from Gothic to Renaissance, is his work. He died in 1516 (Cvjetkovic 1999: 226).
Marin Držic Square takes its name from a prominent playwright, poet, comedy author and organist who was born in 1508. He received his education in Dubrovnik and several Italian cities. In 1541, he was elected as vice-rector of the University of Siena. His work is concerned with universal human themes: love, meanness, and longing for youth. In his comedy “Dundo Maroje” he created a vision of an equal society. Držic died in Venice in 1567 (Cvjetkovic 1999, 221-222). Dubrovnik’s city theater is named after him.
The name “Bunic Square” goes back to Nikola Bunic, one of the most famous members of an eminent noble family, the Bunic-Bona, which built its palace here in the 14th century. Nikola was born in 1635 and died in 1678 after a lengthy confinement in the prison of Silistria, then part of the Ottoman Empire. He is considered one of Dubrovnik's most courageous citizens who as a tenacious diplomat represented the interests of the city (Cvjetkovic 1999: 39-40).
Rudjer Boškovic Square, in front of the Jesuit school, was named after a well-known natural scientist whom some like to describe as Dubrovnik’s Newton or Galileo. He earned himself a name among the European scientists of his time and made significant discoveries. He was also a poet and diplomat. Born in Rome in 1711, the Jesuit Boškovic often visited Dubrovnik. He died in Milan in 1787 (Cvjetkovic 1999: 30-3; Violich 1998: 187).
The “Pearl” and its Plants
Another picture postcard from before the First World War; note the tree on the left (above); for a slightly different perspective, see the below picture postcard.
The below picture postcards are from after the Second World War—note that the vegetation is (still) in place:
Although both are undated, given the finesse of the photographs, I consider them from around 1960/70. The below—coloured—picture postcard is from the late 1970s:
For whatever reasons, the same Mediterranean vegetation is (still) included.
A few more lines from Kaser (2001)
Gundulic Square is the biggest and perhaps the most beautiful of squares. Today it serves as the market place. It obtained its name from Ivan Gundulic, the Republic's most famous writer. The author was born in the city in 1589 and was a senator and member of the above-mentioned “Small Council”, as well as a delegate for the Republic. In one of his most well-known works, the epic lyric “Osman”, he describes the victory of the Polish army over the Ottomans in 1621. His motifs include Christian freedom and Pan-Slavic sentiments. His pastoral play “Dubravka” focuses on motifs of the greatness of freedom and on patriotic feeling. He died in Dubrovnik in 1638 (Cvjetkovic 1999: 82- 83). Gundulic Square is also distinctive because the only statue in the old city was set up there in 1882. The writer's statue is decorated with scenes from episodes of ‘Osman’ in relief (Cvjetkovic 1999: 82). Of all these prominent citizens, Ivan Gundulic and the square named after him take supreme place.
This observation is not unimportant, due to an interesting link between the construction of Gundulic as the city's most eminent historical figure and modern tourism. If Gundulic stands for the drama and poetry of Dubrovnik’s “golden” age, the annual “Dubrovnik Festival” which takes place in July and August stands for contemporary drama, poetry and culture. During these summer weeks, thousands of culture-keen tourists combine holidaymaking with a cultural event. Viewed from this perspective, it would be wrong to talk about Dubrovnik's compromise with history. For this audience, the historical references expressed by the city's squares a of interest.
However, a substantial share of the holidaymakers that stream into the city must be categorized as day-trippers. These hordes of people spend only a few hours in the city: a city tour and a restaurant meal belong to the standard repertoire. Obviously, these tourists are unable to take in and interpret the historical codes of the city within just a few hours. Despite the efforts of guides such as Vesna (who was introduced at the beginning of this article) to transmit these messages, day-trippers are passionately interested in trivialities. Left alone, they stroll irreverently past Gundulic’s statue and enjoy the delicacies offered on the fruit and vegetable market or the kitsch displayed in shop windows. They find refreshment in the shadowy loggia of the Rector’s Palace without dwelling on the power that once radiated from this building and has since paled. They are attracted by the drawbridges at the city’s two main gates without losing a thought on the masterful achievements of Dubrovnik’s diplomacy which for centuries prevented the necessity of drawing up these bridges against enemy attack. To top these misunderstandings between the historical text and its tourist interpretation, the visitors are lured into restaurants where they pay more for the same food than somewhere else.
This unawareness of historically placed signs particularly comes to the fore with the arrival of a certain species of visitor. In November 2000, the U.S. aircraft carrier “George Washington” docked in Dubrovnik with around 4,000 sailors on board thirsty for some entertainment. The city awaited the event as a welcome break in the winter season in which normally most restaurants are closed. It was astonishing to see how much the city changed in the direction of an uneasy compromise between authentic historical symbolism and the expectations of the U.S. marines in the run-up to the ship’s arrival. During the year, no barbecue stands are to be seen in the city—this November they were there. Although there are several pizzerias in the centre, suddenly their number doubled. Naturally, the city also wanted to satisfy the young sailors’ desire for naked women: all-night striptease shows popped up in prudish, elegant cafés that normally close at 11 p.m.
When the aircraft carrier’s crew left, the city took stock of its profits, dismantled the barbecue kiosks and shut down most of the pizzerias and restaurants—until the next tourist rush surrounding the 2000/2001 “millennium” event. Some 30,000 visitors were expected, and judging by the crush, they came. Today, some 3,500 people live in the old city and you can imagine the pushing and shoving inside the walls when this number increases tenfold. Of course, most of the visitors were not there to be impressed by the city’s former glory. Quite a lot of them possibly even thought they were in some kind of Disney World, with historical scenery set up for their personal pleasure.
To be continued…