Maritime Museum of Ragusa

The Maritime Museum of Dubrovnik, located inside the historic Fort of St. John, represents a fascinating journey into the city’s rich maritime tradition. Founded in 1949 on the initiative of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts (now the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts), the museum houses a vast collection of artifacts documenting centuries of maritime and commercial history. The Fort of St. John, built in the 14th century and completed at the end of the 16th century, played a crucial role in defending the port of Dubrovnik. Strategically located at the entrance of the port, the fortress was an essential checkpoint to protect the city from maritime attacks. During the 19th century, the fortress was renovated and transformed into a two-story building, with windows replacing the original gun slits. Inside the museum, spread over two floors of the fortress, visitors can explore over 11,000 objects organized into fifteen collections. Among the most precious pieces are detailed ship models, navigation instruments, ancient maps, flags, and naval equipment. These artifacts offer a glimpse into Dubrovnik’s maritime life, which boasted one of the largest and most powerful merchant fleets in the Mediterranean in the 16th century. One of the main attractions of the museum is the collection of ship models, which accurately reproduce the vessels that sailed the seas in past centuries. These models show the evolution of shipbuilding techniques and navigation practices. Additionally, the museum displays tools used by sailors to navigate at sea, such as sextants and compasses, as well as ship logs and nautical charts documenting the routes followed by Dubrovnik’s navigators. The museum also provides an overview of sailors’ daily life, with personal items and tools that tell stories of adventures and challenges faced at sea. Visitors can admire paintings of naval battles, illustrating the conflicts that the Republic of Ragusa (historical name of Dubrovnik) had to face to maintain control of trade routes and defend its independence. The museum visit is not limited to the interior of the fortress. From its privileged position, visitors can enjoy a spectacular view of the old port and the old town of Dubrovnik. This breathtaking panorama adds another layer of appreciation for the city’s maritime history, allowing one to imagine what life must have been like during the golden age of the Republic of Ragusa. Another point of interest within the fortress is the Dubrovnik Aquarium, which occupies the ground floor of the same structure. Although accessible through a separate entrance, the aquarium offers a complementary experience, allowing visitors to explore the marine biodiversity of the Adriatic and better understand the natural environment that supported Dubrovnik’s maritime tradition.