Mala Onofrijeva česma, Dubrovnik

Mala Onofrijeva česma is a fountain beside Dubrovnik’s Stradun, near the building of the Main Guard. Installed in 1438, it supplied water to the market at Luža Square. Onofrio della Cava designed it, while the sculptor Petar Martinov created its sculptural work.

The fountain takes its name from Onofrio, who also designed the larger Onofrio fountain. In medieval Dubrovnik, Christians used this fountain, while the city’s Jewish residents collected water from a separate fountain nearby; that fountain was later moved to Brsalje. Restoration brought Mala Onofrijeva česma back to its original place on 3 February 1996, and it survived the siege and shelling of Dubrovnik. The space beside it is also a venue for the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, where Novela od Stanca was performed.