Ploče Gate and the Historic Lazareti Quarantine
Why is it significant?
Conclude your walk just outside eastern Ploče Gate before the monumental complex of the Lazareti — the world's most sophisticated and best-preserved maritime quarantine station of the sixteenth century.
Key Facts
| Place | Ploče Gate and the Historic Lazareti Quarantine |
|---|---|
| Address | Frana Supila 8, 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia |
| Geo Coordinates | 42.64210, 18.11450 |
| Part of Walk | Stradun, Prijeko Alleys and Treasures of Ragusa: Heart of Old Town Dubrovnik |
| Generated | Generated |
Conclude your walk just outside eastern Ploče Gate before the monumental complex of the Lazareti — the world's most sophisticated and best-preserved maritime quarantine station of the sixteenth century. Built on rocky shores beneath the cyclopean walls of Revelin Fortress, this sprawling complex comprises ten stone interconnected wards and five isolated courtyards erected by the Senate between 1590 and 1642 to shield the city from catastrophic epidemics.
Dubrovnik made public health history in 1377 by enacting the world's very first official maritime quarantine law. All merchants, sailors, and passengers arriving from plague-endangered ports were legally required to isolate for thirty, and later forty days on offshore islands before entering the city. From the Italian word quaranta — meaning forty — the universal word quarantine was born right here in the maritime statutes of Ragusa.
The Lazareti featured cutting-edge sanitary engineering for its day: its own running spring water aqueduct, dedicated disinfection ovens for burning contaminated clothing, separate quarters for travelers of different backgrounds, and secure warehouses for precious silk and wool cargo. Thanks to this extraordinary foresight, the Black Death never halted Ragusa's international commerce or depopulated its stone quarters. Beyond the quarantine courtyards, the rocky shoreline drops into deep waters where foreign merchant barques once anchored under armed surveillance while awaiting official sanitary clearance from Ragusan health magistrates.
Today the vaulted stone halls of the Lazareti pulse with creative life as a vibrant center for contemporary art, theater, and music. From the seaside terrace, you look back at the dramatic stone walls of Revelin and the sparkling azure of the old harbor. You have traced the northern spine of ancient Ragusa, witnessing the visionary brilliance and indomitable courage of a great Mediterranean civilization.
Relax on the waterfront terrace of Lazareti or continue toward the sea cliffs of Fort Lovrijenac.