St Saviour Church

In 1520, a large earthquake seriously damaged many of Dubrovnik’s buildings and left 20 people dead. As an offering of gratitude for sparing the city further destruction, the authorities built St. Saviour Church and dedicated it to Jesus Christ. The votive certainly seems to have been appreciated. When the much bigger 1667 struck, killing 5,000 and destroying almost every building in Dubrovnik, little St. Saviour’s held firm, and remains little unchanged today next to the Pile Gate in the Old Town.

A Blend of Styles

Passing beneath the inscription of thanks above the main entrance, you will enter a simple, single-nave congregation. The interior contains significant Gothic elements. For example, if you look up you will notice a cross-ribbed ceiling, and the windows to the sides have pointed arches that are typically Gothic. However, the dominant architectural style in St. Saviour’s is that of the Renaissance. This can be seen in the distinctive three-leaf semicircular roof, as well as in the semicircular apse in the church’s interior.

The church’s opening hours can be erratic. The best time to guarantee entry, while also gaining an authentic experience of Croatian Roman Catholicism, is during the weekly mass on Sundays.