Cultural History Museum (Rector's Palace)

The Cultural History Museum occupies the Rector's Palace at Pred Dvorom 3 in Dubrovnik, Croatia, the former seat of the Republic of Ragusa's government and the residence of its rector, who was elected for only one month at a time and lived in the building during his term. The palace was built in the 15th century, reworked after gunpowder explosions and fire, and given its current Gothic-Renaissance appearance, with a loggia of columns on the ground floor and a graceful atrium. The architects included Onofrio della Cava and later Michelozzo, and the palace was again changed after the 1667 earthquake with Baroque elements. The museum, part of the Dubrovnik Museums, presents the city's history through state rooms, the rector's office and living quarters, a court room, portraits of Ragusan nobles, furniture, historic weapons, coins, seals, keys of the city, clocks and paintings. A bust of Miho Pracat, a wealthy merchant and shipowner who left his fortune to the Republic, stands in the atrium, an honour rarely granted. The exhibition follows a loosely chronological and thematic approach, with rooms on government and law, a prison in the lower floor and a lapidarium. The building has been restored over many years, including after 1991 damage, and it is in good condition. In summer the atrium is also a stage for Dubrovnik Summer Festival concerts. Visitors normally spend about an hour here, and it is included in the 10 Museums ticket.