Galleries and museums
The birth house of Vlaho Bukovac, one of the most famous Croatian painters and the forefather of the Croatian modern painting, has been made available for public since May 2004, after a ten-year break and a thorough three-year reconstruction.
The monumental features of the Bukovac House are not only its architecture, garden space and the location in the very heart of the town, but above all, it is the legacy of the name of the great artist, his artistic heritage and the heritage of his family's history.
The arrangement of space shows it to be a typical Dalmatian 19th century bourgeois house: stone-built, two-storey building with a central court-yard (korto) and a spacious back garden. Particularly interesting are the newly discovered wall paintings which cover the old walls in the eastern part of the house, made by the young Bukovac before leaving to Paris.
In what used to be the living room (tinel) and the painter's studio, there are about thirty paintings displayed, along with a part of the furniture collection, everyday and personal items from the time of Vlaho Bukovac.
The ground floor constitutes a separate exhibition space where modern art exhibitions are regularly organized.
The Bukovac House is open to visitors during the whole year.
- Address:
- The House of Vlaho Bukovac
- Ulica Vlaha Bukovca 5
- 20210 Cavtat
- Hrvatska
The mausoleum of the well-known ship-owners family Račić from Cavtat was built on St. Rock's cemetery. Its construction took place in 1921, on the place of St. Rock's church from 15th century, following the will of the testatrix Marija Račić. It was built from the white stone from Brač in the form of cupola. In the whole building no other material but stone was used, except bronze for the door, bell and angel.
The whole mausoleum is full of symbolic representing three basic stages of human fate: birth, life and death. This is contained in the ornaments like the heads of angels on the vault; the symbols of four evangelists on the floor, the main alter and the lateral naves. On the bell founded by Meštrović's design we find his beautiful reflection: "Comprehend the secret of love, you will solve the secret of death and believe thatthe life is eternal.
Mausoleum of Račić Family is a unique beauty that seams to sail above the sunny sea and pine, cypress and palm lines, like a white swan of eternity.
- Address:
- Mausoleum of Račić Family
- Groblje sv. Roka (Kvaternikova Street)
- 20210 Cavtat
- Hrvatska
Baltazar Bogišić Collection was founded in 1909 - 1912, and from 1955 is a part of Croatian Academy of Science and Art. Baltazar Bogišić (Cavtat 1834 - Rijeka 1908) was a jurist and a scientist of a European fame. Since 1875 he lived in Paris. He was the full member of Croatian Academy of Science and Art since its foundation in 1867, a member of many other Academies and Scientific societies, and a holder of several European decorations.
In the Collection are deposited more than 35.000 different items. Particularly interesting are the collection of old graphics (8185 sheets of Croatian and European provenance from 16th until 19th century) and one of three Croatia's most important numismatic collections (2700 pieces) The library is one of the most valuable in Croatia, because of its rare and unique editions (15000 titles, 66 incunabula, and 164 manuscripts). Important scientific and cultural value has a rich archive and a large personal correspondence (10092 letters) of Baltazar Bogišić. The Rector's Palace is the seat of Bogišić collection since 1958.
Because of the bad conditions in the ground - floor rooms and the reconstruction works, it is possible to visit only one part of Bogišić's inheritance (paintings, graphics, photographs, furniture, pottery, ethnographic items, books, manuscripts, documents etc.).
- Address:
- Baltazar Bogišić Collection
- Obala dr. A. Starčevića 18
- 20210 Cavtat
- Hrvatska
- Contacts:
- +385 20 478 556
Monastery of Our Lady of the Snows
The Monastery is founded in 1484. and built during the 15th and 16th century. Significant modification within the monastery was done from 18th to 20th century. In the church are exhibited several valuable paintings: altar painting of Dubrovnik painter Božidar Vlatković (end of 15th c.), polyptych of Dubrovnik master Vicko Lovrin (1509/10), and the lunette of lady of Cavtat painted in 1909 by Cavtat painter Vlaho Bukovac.
The building in which the Pinacoteca is located today was built in 1938 in one part of the parish garden, and was called the Home of St. Nicholas. In 1952, thanks to the parish priest Don Ivo Dagonig, it was turned into a Pinacoteca of a valuable art collection containing seventy exhibits, mostly paintings of a religious nature. All works of art were created in the range of 15-20. century.
Today, the standard display is enriched by a permanent exhibition of sea shells, from all the world’s oceans. The collection contains 3,000 different species and is one of the largest private collections in this part of Europe.
“Shells offer an affordable way to reconnect people with nature, helping to bridge the gap between us and the living world. We hope that our exhibition will really remind you to stop, and notice the beauty that surrounds us. Let’s open our hearts, let’s be aware of our impact on nature, let’s change” – say the authors of the exhibition.
- Address:
- Shell Museum Cavtat
- Svetog Nikole 3
- 20210 Cavtat
- Hrvatska
- Contacts:
- +385 98 618 945
- www.shellmuseumcavtat.com/
Konavle County Museum was founded in 1974, thanks to the selfless efforts and enthusiasm of prominent education and tourism workers in Čilipi and people of Konavle in general.
A building that used to be the village treasury, located in the central square, now treasures the ethnological fortune of Konavle, displayed in the ambience of a typical Konavle house.
In 1991, the House was burned and a significant portion of the inventory was irreparably lost. The collection now holds about 500 items such as male and female folk costumes of the highest quality, embroidery and other textile handcrafts, jewellery, arms, musical instruments and items used in the everyday life. The permanent display includes a selection of the traditional needlework made by the Cavtat folklore society Jelka Miš.
- Address:
- Konavle County Museum
- Beroje 49
- 20213 Čilipi
- Hrvatska
Fort Sokol or Sokol Grad is the biggest and for its location on the mountain pass towards Bosnian hinterland, exceptionally important fort from the period of Dubrovnik Republic. It was built on the site of an Illyrian and roman fortification, the proofs for which are the roman details and roman bricks in its walls.With its form it is adjusted to the natural cliff on which it was build. From the fort and from the churchyard of Our Lady of Sokol one has a unique view of the whole Konavle.
In 1391 the brothers Sanković, that time's rulers over Konavle, ceded to Dubrovnik Republic the whole region with Fort Sokol. The Republic definitely enters into its posses in 1423. Because of its strategic importance, the Republic was always investing in the fortress. It had a cistern, an ammunition dump, a storehouse for wine and food, the accommodation premises for the "castellan", a guard - house and a building for the soldiers. It also had a separate building for the accommodation of woman and children from the nearby villages for the case of war danger.Even today from top of the Fort one has the feeling of respect and admiration for the heritage that the ancient Republic of Dubrovnik has left to us.
The village Pridvorje is situated in the central part of Konavle under the slopes of the mount Snježnica. This marvellous settlement covered by the mulberry - trees, plane - trees and poplar - trees, surrounded by a river and the water springs, became famous, together with the whole area of Konavle, through Dubrovnik writers in 15th, 16th and 17th century. Following the history of this village we may follow the history of Konavle through two thousand years. In the 12th century the village vas called St. Martin. It got its actual name in the 15th century.
In the middle of the village was built the headman's palace where resided headmen and poets.Around the palace were built the houses, the trashing - floors and a church, so the whole complex got the name of Pridvorje (in front of the palace). In the lowlands in front of the church of the Holly Trinity the Franciscan monastery with the church of St. Blaise was built (1423 - 1429) in the style of the early Dubrovnik renaissance.The monastery was a pilgrimage place, so it collected a rich treasury of sacral art, where special place belongs to the well-known late gothic wooden crucifixion from Pridvorje.
The Department of Archeology and Monumental Heritage of Konavle was established in 2016 in the west wing of the Franciscan monastery with the aim of exploring, protecting and presenting the monumental heritage of Konavle.
- Address:
- Franciscan Monastery Pridvorje
- Podvor 16
- 20215 Gruda
- Hrvatska
There is a system of watermills and stamp mills built on river Ljuta which consisted of eight watermills for flour, two watermills for oil and three stamp mills. When the Dubrovnik Republic bought Konavle, there were four mills on the upper stream of the river. After 1550, the system called "lower mills" was built and has been preserved until today.
The functioning of the mills was based on a canal system, and some of them were driven by three aqueducts. Most of the buildings were on the western bank apart from the Đivanović stamp mill, which was on the eastern bank. The mill system was extremely important for the economy of Konavle and the Republic as a whole.
The river source and the upper stream is under protection of the Government as a park of nature, whereas the watermill is protected as a cultural monument.
- Audio gude:
- ljuta.vodic.hr
The Illyrian necropolises - about 115 stone clusters mostly in Mikulići, Pločice, below Čilipi, are irregularly placed, are mostly inaccessible and are hiding the inventory of ancient Illyrian chieftains. The Mithra's sanctuaries represent a god and a bull, the fight between good and evil, light and darkness. Two examples of Mithra's sanctuaries in relief are known: one in the cellar of Bogišić house in Cavtat and one in Močići. Standing tomb - the stone necropolises are nowadays making part of churchyards in the villages, and in largest number may be found in Dunave near the church of St. Barbara, in Mihanići, Gabrila, Brotnice and Pridvorje.
The autochthonous and unique construction forms of residential architecture are the chimneys.These are mortared pyramidal roofs above the big home hearth, built in a special way without wooden construction or any other securing.There are 18 registered monuments in the villages of Donja Banda, and only one chimney in Gornja Banda in the Franciscan monastery in Pridvorje.