Jugoslovenski Rotar

Ratko Ivančić. Onofrio's work suffered great damages in another gunpowder explosion in 1443. Its reconstruction was this time entrusted to the architect Michelozzo, a disciple of Donatello and Bruneleschi, who had already been engaged by the Republic as official architect. The plan for the reconstruction of the Palace devised by Michelozzo was, unfortunately, rejected for financial reasons. This gifted Renaissance architect and sculptor had to adapt himself to the material which he had at hand, but he did his work with much feeling and taste, which we appreciate to-day. His work includes a few nobly conceived capitals with putti, the frieze above the main entrance representing angels playing various instruments, and the flat arch covered with beautiful festoons of leaves in the entrance hall as well as a window on the left hand side.

It seems that the Council found these renovations too expensive and so it came to a rupture between them and Michelozzo, who left Dubrovnik and the unfinished Palace. The final works were carried out by George of Šibenik, a pronounced Gothic architect, who completed the work mainly in accordance with the old plans of Onofrio.

Thus the finest building of Dubrovnik is a monument where two otherwise heterogeneous styles, the Gothic and the Renaissance, are united in a harmonious whole. The merit for this undoubtedly goes to Michelozzo. After the earthquake of 1667 the Rector’s Palace was restored by Cerutti and in the XIXth century it was again repaired by Austrian official architects.

On a plain socle in the beautiful courtyard stands the bronze bust of Miho Pracat, executed by Jacomett from Recanati. This is the only monument erected by the Republic to a private individual. Pracat (died 1607), a native of the island of Lopud, collected immense wealth on his business trips and bequeathed by will all his fortune to the Republic. Still another building of Dubrovnik displays a happy union of the two styles, the Gothic and the Renaissance. This is the beautiful Divona (Sponza) built in the XVth century, the ground floor of which was used as a customs house, while the upper floors contained halls for public meetings and festivities as well as the State mint. The entrance hall and the inner courtyard were executed by a follower of Michelozzo, probably by Pasquale, son of Michael (1516—1520).

A curious mixture of various styles which does not mar the whole but rather gives it a charming imprint of harmony represents the small church of Sv. Spas (the Saviour) near Onofrio’s fountain, built in 1520 as a votive offering after an earthquake which had no catastrophic consequences. All the buildings mentioned so far and a few remnants of private palaces have withstood with little damages the terrible earthquake of 1667. Only the Romanesque Cathedral was irreparably lost. In its place the new Cathedral was built (1671—1713) in the baroque style after plans of Ruffalini from Urbino .In 1715 the XVth century church of St. Blasius, the patron saint of Dubrovnik, was destroyed by fire and replaced by a baroque building with dome; the architect was the Venetian Grapelli. To the same period belongs also the baroque Jesuit church

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