Sv. Ivan, Dubrovnik

Sv. Ivan is a fortress woven into Dubrovnik’s city walls, with a curved monumental outline that once guarded the harbour from the southern side. Its story begins in 1346, when it was built as the Fortress of the Mole.

A nearby fortress designed by Dubrovnik engineer Paskoje Miličević was joined to it by towers in 1522; from 1557, the connected structure took the form you see today. Inside, a large gunpowder store once occupied the fortress. The old defensive role has given way to cultural collections: the building houses material from the Republic period, along with the Maritime Museum and the Aquarium and Institute for Marine and Coastal Research. On the terrace used as a summer stage for the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, you can also find a cannon from the sailing ship Triton.