Old photos of Dubrovnik

Dubrovnik, on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, was known for most of its history as Ragusa. Founded in the early Middle Ages, it was under Byzantine and then Venetian protection before becoming an independent republic in the 14th century. The Republic of Ragusa survived for more than four centuries by skilful diplomacy between Venice, Hungary and the Ottoman Empire, to which it paid tribute. Its merchant fleet traded across the Mediterranean, and its wealth funded the massive walls, the Rector's Palace, the Sponza Palace and the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries that still define the old town.

A severe earthquake in 1667 destroyed much of the city and killed a large part of the population; the baroque cathedral and the church of St Blaise date from the rebuilding. The republic was abolished by Napoleon in 1808, and after 1815 Dubrovnik belonged to the Austrian Empire and later to Yugoslavia. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979. During the siege of 1991-92 in the Croatian war of independence the old town was shelled, and its roofs and monuments were later restored.

Old photographs of Dubrovnik typically show the city walls and forts from the sea, the Stradun and the Onofrio fountain, the old harbour with fishing boats, and the terracotta roofs seen from Mount Srd.

What the photos show

The 705 photographs of Dubrovnik on PlaceWas span 14 decades, from 1867 to 2025. 240 of them were taken before 1980; the other 465 are recent views of the same streets and landmarks.56 spots were photographed more than once, so you can compare the same street, square or building across the years.705 of the photos carry a written caption explaining what is in the frame. Every picture is pinned to the place it was taken, so the map below shows where the photographers stood.