Vrata od Pila, Dubrovnik

Vrata od Pila forms the western entrance to Dubrovnik’s Old Town, a gateway complex in the district of Pile. The name comes from a Greek word meaning “gate,” and this approach has traditionally been the visitor’s introduction to the city. The gates occupy the site of a fortress known from 972 and demolished in 1818; traces survive between the outer and inner entrances.

The outer gate, built in 1573 as a Renaissance arch, carries a statue of Saint Blaise. Its approach runs over a stone bridge raised in 1471 by Paskoje Miličević, followed by a wooden drawbridge once lifted each night and lowered in the early morning for residents and traders. The inner gate dates from 1460 and has a Gothic arch; its Saint Blaise statue was carved by Ivan Meštrović.