Sponza Palace, Dubrovnik, Croatia

The rectangular Sponza Palace with an inner courtyard was built in a mixed Gothic and Renaissance style between 1516 and 1522 by Paskoje Miličević Mihov. Its name is derived from the Latin word 'spongia', the spot where rainwater was collected.

The loggia and sculptures were crafted by the brothers Andrijić and other stonecutters.

The palace has served a variety of public functions, including as a customs office and bonded warehouse, mint, armoury, treasury, bank and school. It became the cultural center of the Republic of Ragusa with the establishment of the Academia dei Concordi, a literary academy, in the 16th century. It survived the 1667 earthquake without damage. The palace's atrium served as a trading center and business meeting place.

The palace is now home to the city archives, which hold documents dating back to the 12th century, with the earliest manuscript being from 1022. These files, including more than 7000 volumes of manuscripts and about 100,000 individual manuscripts, were previously kept in the Rector's palace.

References:

Wikipedia

Palaces, manors and town halls in Croatia

User Reviews

Attila Dóri (4 years ago)
Great historical building in the heart of the old town

Steve Williams (4 years ago)
Got married here, amazing place in the magical Dubrovnik. ??

Brad Young (4 years ago)
Very pretty palace that we attended a wedding at. Location was great, and the views inside were very impressive

Stéphane Roux (4 years ago)
After being overcharged by two uninterested women, we discovered that only a very small area was opened to the public, and covered in awful "art" installations, with little to no interest (find an actual museum). A quick exhibit on Roland was quite fun, but the creepy "art display" on "gifted children" seems more like an amateur piece of work than anything else. Watch from the outside, and come in only if you wanna be disappointed.

lucian oana (5 years ago)
The admittance price is a real rippof. It's 25 Kuna and they don't even let you go upstairs

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