Franciscan Monastery

Frommer's Review

A small apothecary inside the 14th-century monastery complex has been in business in 1317 and claims to be the oldest working pharmacy in Europe (it still seals herbal lotions and tonic made according to ancient recipes). It has a fascinating display of ancient lab equipment, mortars, measuring implements, and decorative containers used over the centuries. The monastery itself is accessed via a narrow passage from St. Saviour's Church; the complex's Romanesque cloister is the monastery's most compelling feature (the post-quake Renaissance cloister is open to Franciscans only). The lower cloister's open wall of double columns (topped with human, animal, and plant carvings) frame a tranquil open garden area where you can imagine monks enjoying the contemplative life. The complex also is home to a 15th-century well, the single-nave St. Francis Church, a bell tower, and the monastery museum, whose library contains ancient writings, music manuscripts, gold and silver objets d'art, and other items that illuminate Dubrovnik's history.

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