the walls (and roofs) of the city

Monday afternoon the art class took a field trip walking along the city walls of Old Town. We made a circuit around the entire area and the new perspective and viewpoint was just as incredible as the view from our balcony. Pictures are attached.

Within the city walls there are Franciscan and Jesuit monasteries and a few Catholic churches. There is a bell tower that was hit in 1991 during the war, despite being labeled with a red cross and a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) sign. The tower suffered 51 direct hits from the hills north of Dubrovnik.

There were other areas in Old Town that suffered damages; many incurred because the soldiers fighting were not as much experienced and determined to take out certain monuments but because the soldiers sent to fight and bomb Old Town were young and inexperienced. When people speak about the war here, it's almost matter-of-factly... they seem to have a resilience that is admirable and optimistic.

There are fortresses to the south and east of Old Town; designed to keep the harbors strong and secure. The roofs of the houses, all those lovely red tiles you see, are not necessarily the originals. The original tiles were different colors and were formed on a man's thighs, giving them the unique shape that protects the building's roofs from the elements.

There is a great deal of reconstruction and restoration continually going on in Old Town; preserving as much of the original structures (a mixture of Roman, Greek, Renaissance with a touch of Baroque) as possible. You see a old worn facade outside and once you enter, you see golden gilding and statues, icons and structures that have withstood hundreds of years of wear. It's really indescribable and pictures don't capture all the beauty and details you see in person.

Today's field trip is a tour of some of the museums and churches in Old Town, so my next post will include that...

until then.. mir.. annette