Cathedral of the Assumption

There has been a cathedral on this spot since at least the 7th century, and legend has it that the previous Romanesque church was paid for by Richard the Lionheart in gratitude for surviving a shipwreck off Lokrum in 1192. That church came down in the 1667 earthquake, and the current Baroque replacement was consecrated in 1713 to designs by three successive Roman architects. It sits on Pred Dvorom directly opposite the Rector's Palace, its dome sitting comfortably below the roofline of the surrounding buildings - a modest scale by continental standards but exactly right for the small stone city around it.

The interior is quiet, cool and airy, with an altarpiece polyptych attributed to Titian (the Assumption of the Virgin) at the far end. The real treasure - and where you pay - is the Treasury behind the altar, a small vaulted room whose walls glitter with 138 reliquaries in gold and silver, most crafted by Dubrovnik goldsmiths between the 11th and 18th centuries. The centrepieces are three reliquaries said to contain the skull, right arm and left leg of St. Blaise, the city's patron. They are paraded through the streets on 3 February each year for the saint's feast day, one of the most extraordinary living traditions in Europe.

Half an hour covers cathedral and treasury. Come outside Mass hours if you want to explore quietly, or come during a Sunday service to hear the choir. The 3 February feast day is the day to be here - the whole city turns out and the reliquaries are carried in procession. It is 30 seconds from the Rector's Palace and slots into any Old Town itinerary without effort.

Hours & entry

Cathedral always free · Treasury €4

Mon-Sat 8:00-17:00 · Sun 11:00-17:00 · Treasury 9:00-17:00

What to see

• The skull reliquary of St. Blaise — Treasury, central case
• Titian's polyptych of the Assumption — Main altar
• Baroque high altar — Under the dome

Tips from the ground

• Cathedral is always free - only pay the €4 if you want the Treasury.
• The 3 February procession is free and unforgettable, if you can time your trip.
• Photography allowed but no flash in the Treasury.