Dubrovnik IN THE 14th AND 15th CENTURIES: A City Between East and West By BARIŠA KREKIĆ NORMAN UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA PRESS Preface By Bariša Krekić h e purpose of this book is to present to the Western Dubrovnik i Levant (1280-1460) (Belgrade, 1956). reader a city whose position and role for a thousand years Dubrovni\ (Raguse) et le Levant au Moyen Age (Paris, Twas in many ways unique in Europe and whose contribution 1961). to the Mediterranean world was of great importance. This Đubrovm\ in the 14th and 15th Centuries: A City Between city, Dubrovnik—“The Jewel of the Adriatic”—has remained Last and West (Norman, 1972). largely unknown to the Western public because of the language barrier. In fact, the vast majority of works on Dubrovnik have been published in Serbo-Croatian. The few publications in other languages are either antiquated or widely scattered. The study of Dubrovnik is made possible by the existence in that city of a large and very valuable archive containing documents from the eleventh century on and also by the publication, in Yugoslavia, of a considerable number of International Standard Book Number: 0-80 61-0 999-8 monographs covering many aspects of Dubrovnik’s life in Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 76 -17734 0 various epochs. The research, however, is far from complete, Copyright 19 72 by the University of Oklahoma Press, Publishing Division of and there is still no single, modern history of Dubrovnik. the University. Composed and printed at Norman, Oklahoma, U.S.A., by the University of Oklahoma Press. First edition. This volume does not intend to be one. Its aim is to show the Dubrovni\ in the 14th and 15th Centuries is Volume 30 in The Centers of city at a limited, though crucial, time of its development. Civilization Series. Everything that is written here is based on my twenty years VII / o 0 0 9 I / L> DUBROVNIK PREFACE of work with published and unpublished materials in the book. My appreciation goes also to Mr. Zdravko Šundrica of historical archives of Dubrovnik and on the reading of mono­ the historical archives in Dubrovnik for checking a number graphs and articles concerning that city’s past.* of facts for me. It is a pleasure to mention here Mrs. Betty Dubrovnik’s importance comes from its role as a vital link Messenger of Bloomington, Indiana, who kindly read the in the exchange of men, goods, and ideas between East and manuscript and painstakingly corrected the mistakes in my West, particularly between the Balkans and Italy. This is English. why I shall attempt, while tracing Dubrovnik’s past, to take into consideration events in the areas involved, stressing B. Krekić especially the developments in the Balkans, less well known to the Western reader. It is with sincere gratitude and deep sadness that I mention here the name of the greatest historian of Dubrovnik, Pro­ fessor Jorjo Tadic. As one of his long-time students, I was privileged to have the benefit of his help and advice while drafting the format of this book during the summer of 1969 in Dubrovnik. His valuable remarks and the manuscripts which he magnanimously offered me, although not yet published, helped greatly in the preparation of this work (the faults of which are, of course, entirely my own responsibility). Jorjo Tadic, unfortunately, died suddenly and prematurely in October, 1969, while this volume was being written. Thus Dubrovnik lost the scholar whose efforts, more than any­ body else’s, introduced its past into Mediterranean and Euro­ pean history and historiography. I am also very much indebted to my friends and colleagues Professor Wayne S. Vucinich of Stanford University and Professor Sima M. Ćirković of Belgrade University, who made many useful suggestions for the improvement of this *A11 quotations of texts from documents in this book are— unless otherwise indicated—-from the historical archives in Dubrovnik. VIII IX Contents Preface Page VII I. Geography and Early History 3 II. Politics and Economics in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries 23 III. The Building of the City 63 IV. Hygienic and Sanitation Measures 90 V. Intellectual Life and Culture 112 VI. Everyday Life in Dubrovnik M5 Conclusion 168 Bibliographical Essay 175 Index 181 Maps Territory of the Republic of Dubrovnik, 1426-1808 53 Dubrovnik’s Trade Area 60 Early Stages of Dubrovnik’s Development 67 Dubrovnik from the Thirteenth to the Sixteenth Century 79 Dubrovnik IN THE I 4TH AND I 5 TH CENTURIES Geography and Early History h e unique history and achievement of the small city of Dubrovnik* is as much the result of the great ability Tand the steady perseverance of its men and of historical events and developments in the surrounding regions as it is the product of the extremely favorable geographical location of the city. Situated in the southern part of the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik has an open sea in front of it, while at the same time it is in a position to have excellent communi­ cation with its hinterland. The development of this com­ munication was slow but steady. Small roads going to the nearby regions of Hum and Travunia eventually reached all the way across the Balkan peninsula to the Danube, to Thessalonica, and to Constantinople, their progress following #It seems necessary to explain here the use of the names Dubrovnik, Ragusium, and Ragusans in this book. The Slavic form Dubrovnik will be introduced for the city in the second half of the twelfth century, when it is mentioned for the first time in documents. The old Roman name Ragusium will be used for the earlier epoch and later when it applies to the oldest parts of the city. The name Ragusan(s) for citizens of Dubrovnik, as well as the adjective Ragusan, will be used throughout, instead of Slavic forms, for convenience. 3 DUBROVNIK GEOGRAPHY AND EARLY HISTORY and at the same time stimulating Ragusan trade in those areas. The combination of favorable geographical and naviga­ On the other hand, the Adriatic Sea was of capital impor­ tional elements led to the establishment, very early in the tance to the development of Dubrovnik. The two coasts of Middle Ages, of a sailing route which, from Venice or other the Adriatic—the western, Italian one and the eastern, Slavic northern and central Adriatic harbors, proceeded south along one—have always been very different in respect to geography the eastern coast before reaching the Ionian and Mediter­ and navigation. While the western coast is almost consistently ranean seas. This route led ships to Dubrovnik, because it flat, with very few natural harbors or bays and no islands, was the last large city and harbor before the open seas. Du­ the eastern coast is made up almost entirely of rugged moun­ brovnik was also the first important Adriatic city the ships tains, smaller and bigger bays, excellent natural harbors, and encountered on their way north after entering the Adriatic countless islands, stretching from its northernmost point all from the Mediterranean. This gave Dubrovnik the role of the way south, almost to Dubrovnik. While bays and islands a landmark on the north-south route, and it is not by chance some of them quite large—offered good shelter to ships, the that the Venetians, in the later Middle Ages, used it that way. mountains offered advantageous orientation points. A ll of Thus, its geographic position gave Dubrovnik an important this made the eastern Adriatic coast exceedingly attractive for role on the commercial routes connecting the Adriatic with navigation; it was extensively used, not only in the Middle the Mediterranean as a whole. But more important than its Ages, but also in much more recent times. To these factors position on the north-south axis was Dubrovnik’s role on must be added the sea currents, favorable for navigation along the east-west axis, between the Balkans and Italy. This the eastern shore. More important were the winds. The position was obtained and capitalized upon in such a way prevailing wind on the Adriatic is the southern wind, “jugo” that it became the basis of the continuing existence and or “ sirocco.” For sailing ships, coming from the Mediter­ success of the city. ranean, this was the wind which first propelled them toward There is extremely little information on Dubrovnik’s earli­ the north, toward Venice. And “ sirocco” blew mostly along est history. The little that we have comes mostly from the the eastern coast of the Adriatic. Although it created difficul­ tenth-century Byzantine emperor and historian, Constantine ties for the ships navigating toward the south from Venice Porphyrogenetus. According to him, when the Avaro-Slavs and other ports, its negative effects were always easier to invaded the Balkan peninsula in the beginning of the seventh evade among the many islands and bays of the eastern coast century, they destroyed, among other places, the old Greek, than along the unhospitable western coast. It is no mere or Illyric, and then Roman city of Epidaurus (the site of the coincidence of history that armies from the eastern Adriatic modern town of Cavtat), about fifteen miles south of Du­ coast never attempted to conquer the western shore. The brovnik. Part of the refugees from that city escaped to a opposite was frequently true. steep rock separated from the mainland by a shallow sea 4 5 DUBROVNIK GEOGRAPHY AND EARLY HISTORY channel, and that was the beginning of a new town, called the Ragusans themselves participated in an expedition of the Ragusium. The settlers, mostly of Roman origin, had as their Frankish army against the Arabs.