DUBROVNIK DIGEST

Dubrovnik's achievements

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 The most famous Dubrovnik achievements

 

-The Dubrovnik Republic was one of the first states in Europe to abolish slavery at the beginning of 1416. It wasn't until 1569 that England (considered widely to be a pioneer in this area) abolished slavery, with the USA following suit much later in 1865.

 

 ·  At the end of the 13th Century, Dubrovnik built what was at that time, one of the most sophisticated drainage systems in Europe and it is stillin use today. At that time European capitals such as London and Paris were still drowning in faeces.

  

·  The Little Brothers' Pharmacy (Ljekarna Mala braća) is amongst the oldest in Europe and is found within Dubrovnik's Franciscan Monastery. The pharmacy hasn't ceased operating since opening in 1317, something which makes it unique in Europe.

 

·  Dubrovnik was home to the first fireservice in continental Europe. In the Statute of 1272, it describes in detail organised fire prevention and fire fighting. Among other things mentioned is that the kitchen must be built at the top of a house. Also of note is that the owners of wooden houses were not allowed to store wine because the people of Dubrovnik believed that drunkenness could easily lead to a fire being started. In contrast, those who had stone houses were able to have as much wine as they wanted.

 

·  The people of Dubrovnik invented quarantine because they were afraid of infectious diseases. A quarantine was was created for for the first time in 1377 due to the plague epidemic. At that time, Venice prohibited all ships sailing from 'contagious regions' while in Dubrovnik trade continued, albeit at a slower pace. The first quarantines to isolate passengers arriving from infectious regions before entering the city were on the islands of Mrkan, Bobara and Supetar. Others then opened on the island of Mljet, on Dance beach and in the Ploce area of the city, which is known as Lazareti and is still preserved to this day.

 

·  The seventh book of the Dubrovnik Statute of 1272 contains articles that exclusively refer to marine law. No similar records have yet to be found that are older than the Dubrovnik Statute.

 

·  In 1395 in Dubrovnik, a law on insurance was brought into effect, the oldest such one in Europe. It referred to marine insurance and is is three centuries older than the well-known Lloyd's insurance which dates back to the 17th Century.

 

·  The oldest arboretum in Europe is found in Dubrovnik and has been in existence since 1498. Open to visitors still today, the Trsteno Arboretum is home to a wealth of plants.

  

·  In the 16th Century Dubrovnik had around 180 ships, making it the third strongest navy in the world. The English derived their name for the ships with sails, argosy, from the latin name for Dubrovnik – Ragusa. William Shakespeare uses the term argosy in his works The Merchant of Venice and The Taming of the Shrew.  

 

·  An oprphanage was founded within Dubrovnik's Saint Klara Monastery in 1432, making it one of the first institutions of its kind in Europe.

 

·  In the largest sea battle between the Spanish and English in July 1588, the most  notable ship of the Invincible Spanish Armada was the heavily armoured Saint John (Sveti Ivan), of the Ragusan fleet.