As we started our less-known story about Dubrovnik, it’s about time to tell you about numbers and freedom The total capital of the Republic and all its holdings is estimated at today’s worth $ 70 billion. For comparison, some of today’s countries do not have that much budget.
The famous poet and writer Ivan Gundulić should have become Prince of the Republic, but he did not succeed because he died at age 49.
The prince could not be anyone less than 50 years old. The famous comedian Marin Držić was a conspirator against the Republic. Namely, considering that Dubrovnik’s government was incompetent, he asked Cosimo Medici, the most powerful man in Italy (after the Pope), to help crash down the gentry. It never happened, and contemporaries regarded him as a traitor who led him to die in Venice, not being allowed to go back to his birthplace.
Dubrovnik’s famous merchant, economist, and diplomat Benedikt Kotruljević wrote the first book of trade and bookkeeping in Europe in 1458!
The great scientist Ruđer Bošković was also born in Dubrovnik. And during the mid of 18th century, he was the first scientist in the world to state the possibility of the existence of relativity theory – almost 150 years before Einstein!
The great earthquake in 1667 almost destroyed the Republic. More than 3,000 people were killed, which was then half of the population of the city. Then the Turks and the Venetians came to the Republic, and Dubrovnik’s skillful diplomacy was put on the toughest exam, but luckily, the exam was passed with the best rating although the strength that the Republic had before the earthquake has never been reached again.
Although the city has always been protected with mighty walls, throughout its history, Dubrovnik has never been forced to defend itself by using the walls, even after the catastrophic earthquake in 1667.
When the French army approached the city, the decision was made that the city would calmly surrender, as against such force it would have no chance.
During the First World War, the city was untouched. During World War II, Hitler had personally commanded that neither a stone in Dubrovnik should not be damaged.
For the first time in the history of the town, unfortunately, the city had to defend itself only in 1991, when the Serbian – Montenegrin army beat the city and destroyed numerous cultural monuments of the primary categories. But Dubrovnik has also defended itself and wrote new pages of its famous history.
Since, most of all, the people of Dubrovnik loved their freedom, which can still be seen today. On the Lovrijenac tower, today stands the inscription in Latin: NON-BENE PRO TOTO VENDITUR AURO or translated; FREEDOM IS NOT FOR SALE, NOT EVEN FOR ALL THE RICHES OF THE WORLD.
Croatia Attractions – the highlights of your holiday!