Location: Placa 2
Franciscan Monastery is a medieval Roman Catholic monastery that stands near Saint Savior church. It was constructed in 1317 and constructed in a Romanesque architectural style. Franciscan Monastery proved to be one of the richest and largest monasteries in Croatia. It faced a serious setback when Franciscan Monastery was hit by an earthquake in 1667. Today only few parts of the original Medieval structure survive including Southern portal of the main church and several living rooms. Franciscan Monastery still holds a pharmacy that was found along with the monastery itself. It is one of the oldest operating pharmacies in Europe.
The Franciscan Monastery’s story begins in 1235, when the Order of
Friars Minor, founded by St. Francis of Assisi, arrived in
Dubrovnik—then an emerging city-state under Byzantine influence. The
friars established their first monastery outside the city walls, but by
1317, they relocated inside the newly fortified Pile Gate area for
protection against Illyrian raids and to serve the growing population of
5,000–7,000. The monastery quickly became a civic cornerstone, providing
spiritual guidance, education, and healthcare through its pharmacy,
which opened in 1317 to serve both monks and citizens, predating most
European apothecaries.
The original Romanesque-Gothic complex
flourished under the Republic of Ragusa (1358–1808), a period of
maritime prosperity. The friars ran a school, copied manuscripts, and
dispensed medicines, earning patronage from wealthy merchants who
endowed the cloister and church. The 1667 earthquake, which killed 5,000
and razed much of Dubrovnik, severely damaged the monastery, sparing
only parts of the cloister and pharmacy. Reconstruction began swiftly,
with the church rebuilt by 1680 in a restrained Baroque style,
reflecting the Republic’s recovery. The cloister, completed pre-quake in
1360, survived largely intact, preserving its Gothic elegance.
During
the Napoleonic occupation (1808–1814), the monastery was briefly
repurposed as a military barracks, but the friars reclaimed it under
Austrian rule. The 1991–1992 Yugoslav siege saw shrapnel damage to the
church’s facade, but the complex escaped major destruction, with
post-war restorations (1990s–2000s) by UNESCO and Croatian authorities
restoring its luster. The pharmacy, still active, serves tourists with
herbal remedies, while the library’s 20,000 volumes, including
13th-century codices, attract scholars. The monastery remains a
Franciscan outpost, hosting daily masses and cultural events, its quiet
courtyards offering solace in a city now balancing heritage with
tourism’s pressures.
The Franciscan Monastery is a harmonious blend of architectural
styles, its compact layout—spanning roughly 50 meters long and 30
meters wide—integrating a church, cloister, pharmacy, and library
within Dubrovnik’s fortified walls. Built primarily from local tura
limestone, a creamy, durable stone, it exudes a warm, weathered
patina that complements the Old Town’s aesthetic.
Church of the
Holy Saviour: Adjacent to the monastery, this small church (often
considered part of the complex) was built in 1520 by the Andrijić
brothers in Renaissance style, surviving the 1667 quake intact. Its
facade features a simple rose window and a portal with floral
reliefs, while the interior, a single nave, houses a 16th-century
Pietà altarpiece. The main Franciscan church, rebuilt post-1667, is
more austere, with a Baroque portal crowned by a statue of St.
Francis. Its single-nave interior, measuring 20 meters long,
features a marble altar with a 1710 painting of St. Blaise,
Dubrovnik’s patron, and a wooden crucifix salvaged from the quake.
Subtle frescoes, restored in 2005, adorn the vaulted ceiling,
depicting Franciscan saints.
Cloister: The Romanesque-Gothic
cloister, completed in 1360 by Mihoje Brajkov, is the monastery’s
jewel. This quadrangle, 30 meters by 20 meters, features 120 slender
double columns (paired colonnettes) supporting pointed arches, each
capital carved with unique motifs—acanthus leaves, grotesques, and
human faces—reflecting Dalmatian craftsmanship. The central
courtyard, with a stone well and citrus trees, offers a tranquil
oasis, its acoustics ideal for summer concerts. The cloister’s
survival of the 1667 quake makes it one of Dubrovnik’s oldest intact
structures, its arches framing views of the Stradun.
Pharmacy:
The pharmacy, tucked off the cloister, is a living museum,
operational since 1317. Its 15th-century wooden cabinets display
ceramic jars (albarelli) for herbs like rosemary and myrrh,
alongside mortars and scales from the 1600s. A small exhibition
showcases 17th-century recipe books, blending alchemy and early
medicine. The pharmacy still sells Franciscan-made creams, like
rose-scented balms, linking medieval remedies to modern wellness.
Library and Museum: The library, on the upper floor, houses 20,000
volumes, including 1,200 manuscripts and 30 incunabula (pre-1501
printed books), such as a 13th-century breviary. The museum,
accessible via the cloister, displays liturgical artifacts—silver
chalices, reliquaries, and a 15th-century gilded cross—alongside
paintings by local artists like Lovro Dobričević. Post-2000
renovations added climate control to preserve parchments, while
shrapnel scars from 1991 remain visible on exterior walls, a nod to
resilience.
Compared to the ornate Sponza Palace or the
theatrical Church of St. Blaise, the monastery’s design is
understated, embodying Franciscan simplicity yet rivaling Venice’s
cloisters in elegance. Its thick walls and minimal windows reflect
defensive needs, while the cloister’s open arcade invites
contemplation.
The Franciscan Monastery was a pillar of the Republic of Ragusa’s
social fabric, blending spiritual, intellectual, and humanitarian roles.
The pharmacy, one of Europe’s oldest, democratized healthcare, serving
sailors and citizens with remedies like theriac, a medieval antidote.
The library fostered scholarship, copying texts that influenced
Dalmatian humanism, while the friars’ school educated future diplomats.
The cloister, a gathering place for merchants and clergy, symbolized the
Republic’s communal ethos, balancing wealth with charity.
Today, the
monastery is a cultural linchpin. It hosts Dubrovnik Summer Festival
events (July–August), with cloister concerts drawing 5,000 attendees
annually, and serves as a venue for weddings and masses. The pharmacy’s
herbal products, sold to tourists, preserve Franciscan traditions, while
the library supports global research, with digitized manuscripts
accessible online since 2021. The Feast of St. Blaise (February 3) sees
friars join processions, linking the monastery to Dubrovnik’s
UNESCO-recognized heritage. For locals, it’s a refuge from tourism’s
bustle; for scholars, it’s a window into medieval medicine and literacy.
Environmentally, the cloister’s greenery cools the microclimate, a model
of sustainable design in Dubrovnik’s karst landscape. Current challenges
include managing tourist footfall—3 million visitors strain the Old
Town—prompting calls for timed entries to the museum and pharmacy.
As of September 17, 2025, at 11:47 AM CDT, the Franciscan Monastery
is fully operational, managed by the Franciscan Order and Dubrovnik
Museums. Open daily 9 AM–6 PM (closed during 7 AM mass), entry costs €7
(includes pharmacy and museum; free with Dubrovnik Card, €35, covering 9
sites). Post-1990s war repairs and a 2023 cloister cleaning ensure
pristine condition, with no major damage reported. Located at Placa 2,
it’s steps from the Pile Gate (bus Lines 1A/3, €8 from airport) or a
10-minute walk from the cruise port. Parking at Brsalje Square (€2/hour)
is a 3-minute walk.
Allow 45–60 minutes to explore the cloister,
pharmacy, and museum; audio guides (€2, multilingual) or guided tours
(€7, 30 minutes, book via dumus.hr) enhance understanding. Spring
(April–June) or autumn (September–October) avoids summer crowds; early
mornings offer quiet. The cloister is wheelchair-accessible, but the
church and upper library require steps—staff assist (+385 20 321 410).
TripAdvisor reviews (4.7/5) praise the “peaceful cloister” and
“fascinating pharmacy,” though some note limited signage; the app helps.
Pair with Onuphrius’ Fountain or the Pile Gate for a western Old Town
circuit, or catch a festival concert for evening serenity.