Alleyways beckon, doorways into history. Medieval to modern. Blood, sweat, tears, bullets, ice cream. The 'Pearl of the Adriatic', this ancient fortified settlement in the south of Croatia has not always been the haven for tourists and Game of Thrones fans that it is today.
Only about thirty years ago, these sandy walls and terracotta tiled roofs served as the stage to a savage siege, during the Croatian War of Independence. Bombs, fires, much fighting, much fleeing. After a few decades of peace, Dubrovnik nowadays is more synonymous with camera-clad visitors and Instagram influencers. But the violence remains in living memory of most inhabitants, and ethnic tensions still simmer under its new surface of prosperity.
Take a look at this emblematic bronze statue of Dubrovnik's Renaissance playwright Marin Držić, located in the Old Town. His shiny nose has been relentlessly polished and rubbed by many a hopeful visitor attempting to stock up on their good luck. I think his most striking feature though is surely a massive bullet hole, the scar in his bronze neck (last photograph), a palimpsest of a former, but not so distant conflict.
Still, Držić clearly continues to smile. His home has come a long way, from warzone to welcoming destination. This example of reinvention and regeneration gives me hope: I think Dubrovnik has paved a way for those places ravaged by war today, who may have a brighter tomorrow.
Comments