The Other Spanish Steps

Outside the Church of St Ignatius, Dubrovnik

The Other Spanish Steps © A. Harrison

For such a small town, Dubrovnik is studded with delights. Dubbed by Byron as the Pearl of the Adriatic, the town retains its medieval air. Just within the main entrance,  the Pile Gate, stands the 15th C Big Fountain of Onofrio, (as opposed to The Small Fountain, at the other end of town). Once all visitors stopped here to wash and remove all trace of the plague.

At the other end, tucked away from the Stradun, or main street, I found what looked like Rome's Spanish Steps.

I shouldn't have been surprised to find a corner of Rome in Dubrovnik. After all, this sea-faring city has seen centuries of conquerers rise and fall, whether it be military, cultural, artistic or social. (Tourism is, of course, the modern invader.)

View from the walls, Dubrovnik  © A. Harrison

Designed by the Roman architect Pietro Passalasqua in the 18th C as an homage to the original Spanish Steps, these boast the benefits of having not as many steps and not as many tourists. Indeed, first thing of a morning, they were all but deserted (as was the town itself. By midday Dubrovnik had become a sea of sunburnt tourists).

The stairs were built to give easier access to the Jesuit Church of St Ignatius, built in 1658. This church also has a Roman influence, being modelled after the Chiesa del Gesu, the Jesuit Mother-church in Rome. Unlike many a European church, the interior is sparse and elegant, plus it also boasts Dubrovnik's oldest bell (1355).

For a town which can be traversed in 10 minutes (crowds permitting) Dubrovnik has a plethora of churches. Near the steps is the main cathedral, reputedly founded by Richard Cœur de Lion after he survived a nearby shipwreck (and before he was later captured and imprisoned in Dürnstein Castle).

The oldest known map of Dubrovnik; view into the harbour © A. Harrison

The cathedral was for the nobility, with the Franciscan church down the road for their servants. Masses were timed 15 min apart to allow servants to settle their masters in the cathedral before wending their way down to their own service.

Another point of note: if feeling a little peckish after all this artistic delight, turn left from the top of the Other Spanish Steps into a lane running along the wall, walk right along the lane, and follow the sign pointing to cold drinks. Climb through a hole in the wall, and you'll be rewarded with a cafe (appropriately named Bûza, or Hole in the Wall) which offers cold drinks and spectacular views over the bay. Arrive early, and you'll have the place to yourself.

A perfect rest after wandering the streets of Dubrovnik.

The narrow side streets of Dubrovnik; view from the Hole in the Wall © A. Harrison

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