Rector's Palace — Attraction in Dubrovnik

The Rector's Palace (Croatian: Knežev dvor) is a palace in the city of Dubrovnik that used to serve as the seat of the Rector of the Republic of Ragusa between the 14th century and 1808.[1] It was also the seat of the Minor Council and the state administration. Furthermore, it housed an armoury, the powder magazine, the watch house and a prison. The rector's palace was built in the Gothic style, but it also has Renaissance and Baroque elements, harmoniously combining these elements Originally it was a site of a defence building in the early Middle Ages. It was destroyed by a fire in 1435 and the town decided to build a new palace. The job was offered to the master builder Onofrio della Cava of Naples, who had previously built the aqueduct. It became a Gothic building with ornaments sculpted by Pietro di Martino of Milan. A gunpowder explosion badly damaged the building in 1463. The renewal was offered to the architect Michelozzo of Florence. But he was rejected in 1464 because his plans went too much in the style of the Renaissance. Other builders continued the work. The capitals of the porch were reshaped in Renaissance style probably by Salvi di Michele of Florence. He continued the reconstruction from 1467 on. The building suffered damages from the earthquake of 1520 and again in 1667. Reconstruction was in Baroque style. A flight of stairs and a bell were added in the atrium. In 1638 the Senate erected a monument to Miho Pracat (by Pietro Giacometti of Recanati), a rich shipowner from Lopud, who had bequeathed his wealth...

Rector's Palace is ABSOLUTELY a must - see in Dubrovnik!! Especially if there are any events or concerts being held inside. For our wedding anniversary, my father treated us to an unforgettable and stunning opera performance by soprano Sonya Yoncheva and pianist Malcolm Martineau, inside of Dubrovnik's incredibly beautiful Rector's Palace. Their performance was one of many that are a part of Dubrovnik's Summer Festival. It's an understatement to say that I will never forget the impact of Sonya's beautiful and versatile voice, and the joy I felt listening to each of her arias and songs while sitting alongside my husband, dad, and father-in-law. I really, really loved her performance of Ideale. An absolutely breathtaking concert - down to the acoustics inside the atrium, the renaissance style of art, both of her outfits, and the red rose petals she was throwing throughout the stage. This concert was positively one that I will treasure for the rest of my life!! The beautiful palace offered a backdrop that felt both intimate and majestic, creating a unique dialogue between history and performance. Few venues manage to unite cultural heritage with artistic expression as seamlessly as Rector’s Palace. Whether for grand operatic moments or the delicate intimacy of chamber music, it provides not just a stage, but an unforgettable sense...

See: Rector's Palace (Knežev dvor). During the period of the independent Republic of Ragusa/Dubrovnik (1358-1808) the Gothic-Renaissance Rector's Palace was its administrative seat with Rector's (Duke's) flat/apartment, council halls, courtrooms, prisons etc. Now it is the Cultural History Museum and the seat of Dubrovački muzeji/Dubrovnik Museums that, in addition to the Cultural History Museum, include the Maritime Museum in St. John Fortress (Tvrđava sv. Ivana/Sveti Ivan), the Ethnographic Museum in Rupe (former Republic's granary), the Archeological Museum (ground floor of the Revelin Fortress) and the Museum of Contemporary History with the Croatia Homeland War (1991-1995) permanent exhibition in the Imperial Fortress on Hill Srđ. There are also several museum as separate institutions: the Dominican Monastery Museum, the Franciscan Monastery Museum, the Treasury of the Cathedral, the House of Marin Držić (theatre museum dedicated to Marin Držić - one of the greatest Croatian and European Renaissance playwrights), the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (Villa Banac in Ploče neighbourhood near the old city), the Natural History Museum (near Jesuit Staircase) etc. So, if you have time, you can see a multitude of different and various valuable artefacts...