Sponza Palace, Dubrovnik

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The Sponza Palace was built in the 16th century and grew rapidly as did Dubrovnik's wealth.
It has elaborately carved arches and venetion Gothic windows. It currently houses the state archives.
A room is dedicated to those who lost their lives in the 1991 war.

We did not go in as we were heading for the city walls!

08.00-22.00 Monday to Saturday, 10.00-2200 Sundays (summer)
10.00-1500 Daily (winter)

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This palace from the 16th century passes discreetly to most visitors, due to the strong impact of the memorial for the victims of the war in its interior, but, as you wander around, you will end looking more carefully at it, and appreciating it in more detail.

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The Sponza Palace is monumental Gothic-Renaissance building, one of the most beautiful in the city and has preserved its original form. It is situate close to Luza and right next to the Cathedral. Its name is derivated from the local word for the spot where rainwater was collected (Spongia = aluvium). This palace housed the custom office and it was often referred to as Divona (from "dogana", which is Italian name for the custom). It also housed the bank, the treasury and the armoury. The palace itself was a seat of a number of state offices, important in the life of the Republic.
The palace is large retangular building with an inner courtyard. It wasn't damaged at the earthquake of 1667 and that fact probably saved the excistance of the Republic. Nowadays it is home of the city archive. The archive contain 7000 volumes of manuscripts and about 100.000 of individual manuscripts.

A 16th century construction of the Sponza Palace is stand up by the end of the Stradum, the main street of the old city. It was originally made as a custom house but came up later to ne used as cultural centre as well.

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This was the palace for the use of the Dogana to handle financial affairs, coordinate and mint money, act as a bank and treasury, and customs fee collection and processing activity to manage the town trade goods.
It used to be called Luza Palace and Sponza means water/rain runoff collection. It was constructed in 1516-22 and the earthquake of 1667 did not materially effect the structure. The building was used mostly for political and local administrative purposes and holds archives of documents today. It is a melded combination of Gothic style, especially the windows, and Renaissance. The interior has a courtyard with offshoot rooms form it. There is a small room inside to commemorate the loss of resident lives during the Bosnia/Serb strife that took place. It is interesting to read of the fighters defending this town and seeing their profiles. Fee to enter is 15 kuna-$3, and takes about 20-30 minutes to see what is inside.

Paskoje Milièeviæ designed this palace, which was built in the early 16th century, as a Customs House. So it was also called the Divona, from the word "dogana", meaning Customs. It became a center of international commerce and political meetings. The name "Sponza" is derived from the word "spongia", a place where rainwater collects. It became a meeting place for the city's political, artistic, and scientific leaders, including the Academia dei Concordi. This was Dubrovnik's literary society for many years. It escaped major damage in the 1667 earthquake.

Today, the Sponza Palace houses the city's archives (formerly kept in the Rector's Palace nearby). It contains hundreds of thousands of historical manuscripts.

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Sponza Palace is located on the north side of Luza square, opposite to Church of St. Blaise. This Gothic-Renaissance house finished in 1521 used to serve as the customs house.

The building now houses the state archives, a memorial for the defenders of Dubrovnik during the 1990’s war for independence and a souvenir shop.

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The Sponza Palace has one of the oldest and most voluminous archives in the WORLD! It is said to hold 7000 volumes and over100 000 indivivual manuscripts from the Republic including records of voygers, commerce, protocols of the Councils and all nature of historical' political, economic and diplomatic data. The oldest Archive dates to 1072!
Againn this is a Gothic-Renaissance combo like other of Dubros facades. It was known for most of its life as 'the Customs house' for obvious reasons. Fittingly the name Sponza derives from the word for sponge-as it was here the the water was collected from the alluvial deposits!