Gundulić Square (Gundulićeva poljana)
Gundulić Square (Gundulićeva poljana) is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided Dubrovnik audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~20 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type square
- Suggested visit ~20 min
- Dubrovnik Dubrovnik guide
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About Gundulić Square (Gundulićeva poljana)
Behind the cathedral, a morning market of lavender, figs and candied orange spreads around a bronze poet, Ivan Gundulić, forever reading to a square that empties by afternoon.
Gundulićeva poljana, Gundulić's Square, is the main open space of Dubrovnik's old town, set just south of the Cathedral of the Assumption. Most mornings it hosts a lively open-air market, its stalls heaped with fruit and vegetables alongside local goods: dried lavender, candied orange peel, figs and honey. Baroque townhouses enclose the square, and on its southern side the grand Jesuit staircase, often likened to Rome's Spanish Steps, climbs toward the Church of St Ignatius.
At the centre stands a bronze statue of the Baroque poet Ivan Gundulić (1589–1638), sculpted by Ivan Rendić and unveiled in 1893. Its pedestal carries four relief panels illustrating scenes from Gundulić's epic 'Osman', including the abduction of Sunčanica. The monument is historically telling: the Republic of Ragusa never permitted statues to individual citizens, so Gundulić received his only under later Austrian rule, long after the republic had fallen.
Did you know? The Republic of Ragusa forbade raising statues to individual citizens, wary of glorifying any one person over the state. Gundulić's monument, unveiled in 1893, was only possible once the republic itself had ceased to exist.
How long should you spend at Gundulić Square (Gundulićeva poljana)?
Plan about ~20 min at Gundulić Square (Gundulićeva poljana). That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Gundulić Square (Gundulićeva poljana) worth visiting?
Gundulić Square (Gundulićeva poljana) is one of the 18 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in Dubrovnik, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
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Hear the story of Gundulić Square (Gundulićeva poljana)
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