Dubrovnik Cathedral and Treasury

The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary stands at the southern edge of the Old Town, between the Rector's Palace and the old harbour. Its white Baroque bulk looks calm and orderly, but beneath it lie the remains of several earlier churches, including a large Byzantine basilica uncovered by excavations. Legend links one predecessor to Richard the Lionheart, said to have funded a church in thanks after surviving a shipwreck near Lokrum in 1192 on his way home from the Crusades.

The medieval cathedral was destroyed by the earthquake of 1667. Its replacement was designed by the Italian architect Andrea Buffalini, under the guidance of the Dubrovnik-born scholar Stjepan Gradić, and modelled on Roman Baroque churches. Building began in 1671 and continued under a succession of Italian architects until Ilija Katičić completed it in 1713. The interior is light and spacious, with large thermal windows and cross vaults. Above the main altar is a polyptych of the Assumption of the Virgin by Titian, dated to around 1550 to 1552.

The main reason many visitors come inside is the treasury, a reliquary chapel to the left of the main altar. It holds a large collection of reliquaries made by local, Venetian and Byzantine craftsmen, many in gold and silver cases designed by Marino Gropelli and Petar Matejević. The most precious are the gold-plated head, arm and leg reliquaries of St Blaise, the city's patron saint; the head is shaped like a Byzantine crown and studded with jewels and enamels. Relics associated with Christ include fragments said to be from the True Cross and the crown of thorns. The crypt beneath the cathedral can be visited on special request.

Allow 30 to 45 minutes. This is a working cathedral, so cover shoulders and knees and avoid visiting during Mass if you want to look around freely. Treasury visits are a good rainy-day option.

The cathedral is a minute's walk from the Rector's Palace and Luža Square, and the old harbour lies just beyond. Visiting all three in one morning makes an easy, compact route through the southern half of the Old Town.