Palata Grubonja (Grubonja Palace), Kotor

Next to the northern city gates, just at the threshold of Saint John's Castle and behind the Church of Saint Mary Collegiate, stands this venerable 17th-century palace. While the history of the Grubonja family, who settled in Kotor from Zadar in the 15th century, remains somewhat shrouded in mystery, their legacy endures through the remarkably resilient structure, which emerged unscathed from the tremors of both the 1979 and 1667 earthquakes.

On its main facade is a striking coat of arms, featuring an intriguing array of symbols: skeletal bones, a skull, a snake, a turtle, and a lizard. This emblem is widely regarded as the symbol of Kotor's first pharmacy, established in 1326 and ranking among Europe's oldest. Adjacent stands a red-gray portal, serving as the gateway to the city walls, featuring the likeness of a winged lion – the iconic symbol of the Republic of Venice – and bearing a Latin inscription, "Regia munitae rupis via", meaning "The main road to the fortress in the mountain".