Franciscan Monastery & Museum, Dubrovnik (must see)

The document dating from 1235 mentions the Franciscan Monastery of Saint Thomas in the Pile suburb of Dubrovnik. The monastery was demolished and re-established within the city walls in 1317 under threats of war with King Uros II of Serbia. After the quake of 1667, the church was renovated in the Baroque style.

The monastery complex is grandiose. There are two cloisters. The upper one is Renaissance, with arches and semicircular vaults. The lower cloister is a combination of Romanesque and Gothic elements. A courtyard is surrounded by galleries of arches with double columns, having capitals with flora, fauna, and geometric embellishments.

The cloister was built by architect Mihoje Brajkov of Bar in the early 13th century. It has 120 columns and 12 enormous pilasters. A fountain and statue of Saint Francis is in the center of the cloister. The well-preserved Minor Friars Pharmacy has inventory from 1317. It has furnishings from Siena and Florence from the 15th and 16th centuries.

Other exhibits in the museum include presses, mortars, scales, a 14th-century still, and rare manuscripts. The Museum Library holds copies of medieval manuscripts, chorales, and highly valued paintings by forgotten masters. There is a 14th-century head relic of St. Ursula and an assortment of ex-voto jewelry (a collection of one-of-a-kind and limited edition pieces designed by Elizabeth from antique elements).