Sailing into Dubrovnik’s harbor, notice the striking Rat peninsula. It juts out defiantly into the Adriatic. The name, “Rat,” might sound unusual. It hints at a hidden history. Dubrovnik was once called Ragusa. Ragusa was a bustling trade hub. This made it vulnerable to the bubonic plague, carried by rats on ships. The 14th century brought the devastating Black Death. It decimated Ragusa’s population. Cats were introduced to control the rat population and combat the plague. These feline guardians patrolled the streets. They hunted the disease-carrying rodents. The cats were so effective that they became revered as Dubrovnik’s oldest citizens. They are the direct descendants of those plague-fighting felines. Today, you can still see numerous cats throughout Dubrovnik, a living testament to their ancestors’ vital role. The Rat peninsula stands as a reminder of this dark chapter. It symbolizes the city’s resilience and the unexpected heroes that helped it survive.
Sv. Martin
“A church tucked away in a guardhouse?” you might ask. Yes, right here, before the grand Golden Gate of Diocletian’s