THE FESTA 2010 DUBROVNIK EVENT
The Festa Dubrovnik Association, for nine years running, is preparing
for its traditional great humanitarian concert, which will be held on Friday,
January 29, 2010 in the Sports Hall in Gospino Polje.
The five-day event FESTA 2010 DUBROVNIK generally starts with a «Vocal Group
Festa» on Thursday, January 28, at the Marin Držić Theatre. There will be about
ten men and women's vocal groups. The net profits from this concert are regularly
donated for the restoration of St. Blaise's Church. The central great concert
on January 29th in the Sports Hall will be dedicated to the 40th anniversary
of Dubrovnik's MAESTRAL Vocal Group, who will perform alongside a few of Croatia's
best vocal groups and soloists.
Saturday, January 30th, will mark the 35th anniversary of the famous
Dubrovnik Rock-Parade, whose original hits will be performed by present-day
Dubrovnik rock bands, including those originating from Dubrovnik, such as Jinx.
Sunday, January 31st, will mark another jubilee concert, the 45th anniversary
of Dubrovnik's singer, Ibrica Jusić. At the very end of the program, on Monday,
February 01st, a book on St. Blaise will be presented by Europe House Dubrovnik
in St. Claire's Convent.
This humanitarian concert will be organized and sponsored by the City of Dubrovnik
and the Dubrovnik-Neretva County, the municipalities of Konavle, Župa Dubrovačka
and Dubrovačko Primorje, in cooperation with the Croatian Tourist Board and
Croatian Television, as part of the program celebrating the Festivity of St.
Blaise and the Day of the City of Dubrovnik. The humanitarian proceeds from
FESTA will go to the newly-established Indigo Crystal Bridge – Dubrovnik Association.
MUSEUM NIGHT
Museum Night is a traditional event in which the Croatian museums open their
doors to visitors at the time that is usually reserved for evening outings.
Organizer of the event is Croatian Museum Society, and the program is devised
from Museums all around Croatia.
Dubrovnik Museums
Night of Museums, 29 January 2010
6 pm – 1 am
Cultural Historical Museum (Rector's Palace)
6.30 pm
- Presentation – Legacy of Ivo Vojnović in Cultural - Historical Museum
- Announcement of the exhibition: "The State coat of arm of the Dubrovnik Republic
(Frane Čizmić)
7.15 pm
Performance -"Dubrovnik String Quartet"
-At 10 pm a guided tour through the permanent museum exhibition
Visitors can also see the following exhibitions:
- „Pulene – Figureheads – Decorations on bows of sailing vessels“ (Maritime
Museum)
- „Božidar Gjukić – war photographs 1991 / 1992 “ ( Modern History Museum )
- „The archaeological heritage of Župa dubrovačka“ (Archaeological Museum).
Modern History Museum (In the Fortress Revelin)
8 pm
-Presentation of photographs from the holdings of the Modern History Museum
(with the exhibition "The suffering of the population, civilian objects and
cultural monuments in Dubrovnik area during Indepedence war 1991-1995 “ accompanied
by a professional lecture. (Varina Jurica Turk and Miso Đuraš).
Archaeological Museum (The Rector's Palace)
9 pm
- Lecture: "The ancient aqueduct Vodovađa - Cavtat: the results of previous
archaeological researches " (Ljiljana Kovačić)
Maritime Museum (Fortress of St Ivan)
-At 6 pm and 8 pm guided tours through the permanent exhibition of the museum
are organised
10 pm
-Lecture on the occasion of 80th anniversary of the shipwreck steamer Daksa
- memorial suffering steamer Daksa and the entire crew 26th , January,1930 (Dr.
Anthony Ničetić / Đivo Basic)
We invite visitors to socialize with occasional refreshment and traditional
Dalmatian food and drinks.
Ethnographic Museum (Granary "Holes")
-At 6 pm and 10 pm guided tours through the permanent exhibition of the museum
are organised
CELEBRATING THE 1039 TH FESTIVAL OF ST BLAISE
The Festivity of St Blaise, secular and church celebration of the Dubrovnik
patron saint - together with the Lacemaking in Lepoglava, Hvar and Pag, the
Annual carnival bell ringers' pageant from the Kastav area, the Procession Za
Križem («following the cross») on the Island of Hvar, the Spring Procession
of Ljelje, the Traditional manufacturing of children's wooden toys in Hrvatsko
Zagorje, and the Two-part singing and playing in the Istrian scale - joined
the List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On the 30th anniversary
the city of Dubrovnik's joining the prestigious list of UNESCO World Heritage
Sites, we are very proud because the Festivity of St Blaise – the essential
part of Dubrovnik and its residents since 972 - has been included in this representative
list.
The traditional Festivity of St Blaise has joined the UNESCO List of the Intangible
Cultural Heritage of Humanity. At the Abu Dhabi conference, the UNESCO Committee
has decided to include the seven phenomena of Croatia in the Representative
non-material cultural heritage list. The Festivity of St Blaise was included
in the List together with the Lacemaking in Lepoglava, Hvar and Pag, the Annual
carnival bell ringers' pageant from the Kastav area, the Procession Za Križem
(«following the cross») on the Island of Hvar, the Spring Procession of Ljelje,
the Traditional manufacturing of children's wooden toys in Hrvatsko Zagorje,
and the Two-part singing and playing in the Istrian scale.
UNESCO secures the world cultural and natural heritage and the List of World
heritage Sites includes a total of 878 sites in 145 countries. Thirty years
ago, in 1979, the city of Dubrovnik joined this prestigious company. Situated
on the Dalmatian coast, this pearl of Adriatic began to affirm itself as a major
Mediterranean power since the 13th century. Although destroyed in the disastrous
earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful gothic, renaissance
and baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. After the enormous
war damages Dubrovnik suffered during the aggression against Croatia in the
1990s, this city-monument has constantly been under the surveillance of UNESCO.
The story of Dubrovnik, the southernmost Croatian city and the pearl of the
Adriatic, is the story of St Blaise, the patron saint whom the city has been
honouring for more than a thousand years. From the year 972 onwards, we have
been opening wide the gates of our city, and the flight of white doves marks
the beginning of the festivity, reminding us of the value of freedom – the most
precious treasure of the Dubrovnik Republic. It is difficult to find a city
the identity of which is so inseparably connected with its patron saint, as
is the case with Dubrovnik. The Saint and the City are one. The Festivity of
St Blaise is a bridge that spans the centuries of the glorious history of Dubrovnik.
The honouring of Dubrovnik's patron saint is special and typical of Dubrovnik.
It begins on Candlemass, on 2 February, with the release of white doves, which
symbolise freedom and peace, in front of the patron saint's church and with
the raising of St Blaise's flag on Orlando's Column - the Old City's central
point. At dawn on 3 February, to a gun salute by the historical Dubrovnik Musket-bearing
Guard of Honour, honorary representatives of Dubrovnik’s guilds – a respected
tradesman and a seaman - welcome banners from the east and west that will take
part in the ceremonial procession honouring the patron saint.
On the festival day, 3 February, a solemn mass is celebrated in the open air,
where a religious procession of banners, numerous people of faith – who hasten
to the City from the entire surroundings of Dubrovnik – and prelates starts
from.
In Stradun and the city streets the holy relics of St Blaise are carried, including
the most valuable one from the Dubrovnik Cathedral – Jesus’ loincloth, which
is carried under a canopy.
In front of St Blaise's Church the banners are unfurled in a special way. They
bow paying respect to the saint who has watched over Dubrovnik for many centuries.
This is the opportunity for the banner carriers to show this special skill,
as well as their exquisite and rich folk costumes which attract attention with
their genuineness and beauty.
At sunset on the festival day the stained-glass windows and laurel decorations
in the church of the Dubrovnik patron saint radiate with a special glow. The
priests perform the throat blessing ceremony for the congregation members who
visit the church the whole day long. The ceremony, which comprises a blessing
in front of interwoven candles, is believed to protect from throat diseases.
Every year the Festivity of St Blaise attracts a large number of Croatian and
international guests. Certainly the major church and secular winter event, it
is also a unique tourist attraction that in the best way conjures up the expression
“the Mediterranean as is used to be”.
DUBROVNIK CARNIVAL 2010
If you happen to be in Dubrovnik at carnival time – do join in! You will be
welcome. Particularly if you are wearing a mask!
Our ancestors also had fun, and so should we... is a proverb which one can hear
in Dubrovnik in February during the carnival, the time when everything is allowed,
when people become someone else or show their true face...
The merry time of carnival and putting on masks begins after New Year's time
and ends with the arrival of spring.
The name of all carnivals, including the traditional Dubrovnik Carnival, comes
from the Italian word “carnevale”, and the Latin “carrus navalis” – meaning:
boat on wheels. The people pulled the decorated boats along the streets during
the old popular festivities, in order to launch them into the sea before the
new voyage in the beginning of spring.
The carnival festivities which came to Dubrovnik from across the sea – from
neighbouring Italy – were prohibited by the Church for a time for being “too
perverted” and “too lecherous”, but, in spite of that, they survived until the
present day.
There are numerous writings and illustrations about the tradition of putting
on masks in Dubrovnik. The best known masks of Old Dubrovnik are Bembej, Turica,
Čoroje and Vila and pictures of these characteristic masks have been preserved
thanks to the painter Rafo Martini.
In the 1970s the Njarnjas Theatre Company was active in Dubrovnik. They turned
their original ideas most often into group masks with a large number of people
taking part, who prepared their performances for months. One of the best known
masks from that time was the arrival of Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin in Dubrovnik
in 1989 in order to decide about “carving-up Yugoslavia”, evoking the famous
meeting of the three statesmen in Yalta during World War II.
During the carnival the Dubrovnik Tourist Board and the City of Dubrovnik organize
numerous themed events.
The Four Dubrovnik Carnival Days will traditionally take place in Stradun and
Fort Revelin from 13 – 16 February, with all ages taking part.
Thus, after the Sporchi Macaroni Masked Competition taking place on Saturday,
Sunday is reserved for the march past of masked children and entire families
in Stradun.
On the masked school day, which always takes place on Mondays, several thousand
children and young people gather together and show their imagination and creativity
in the large and cheerful procession. Numerous characters from the world of
fancy but also from the real world can be seen in Stradun, which radiates with
the colours of all seasons.
Other carnival events in Dubrovnik include the satirical performances of the
Nazbilj Society, the Carnival of Župa Dubrovačka with the actual, satirical
and provoking masks and performances (on Sunday, 7 February), masked balls at
the City Café and the Theatre, exhibitions and carnival mask workshops in the
galleries of Dubrovnik, and the Children's Gala Masked Ball (on 7 February,
at the Libertas Rixos Hotel).
Experience the special atmosphere of the Dubrovnik carnival festivities characteristic
of jokes, laughter, merriment, joy and acerbic mockery.
If you happen to be in Dubrovnik at carnival time – do join in! You will be
welcome.
Particularly if you are wearing a mask!
PROGRAMME
City of Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik Tourist Board
DUBROVNIK CARNIVAL 2010
Sunday, 7 February
3.00 pm, Stradun
ŽUPA CARNIVAL
3.00 pm - 6.00 pm, Libertas Rixos Hotel
CHILDREN'S GALA MASKED BALL
Naša Djeca Society of Dubrovnik
FOUR DAYS OF DUBROVNIK CARNIVAL
DAY ONE
Saturday, 13 February
10.30 am, MASKED PARADE OF THE SAMBA ISPOD VOLTE GROUP OF SENJ IN STRADUN
11.00 pm, in front of St Blaise's Church
MASKED COMPETITION IN SPORCHI MACARONI PREPARING Masked competitors get one
portion of sporchi macaroni free of charge! (in case of bad weather, the competition
will take place at the City Café – Arsenal)
DAY TWO
Sunday, 14 February (St Valentine's Day)
2.00 pm, Stradun
APPEARANCE OF MASKED CHILDREN, NAZBILJ
ASSOCIATION AND ŽONGLERATA GROUP (participants include pre- school children
and masked families)
Victory Ceremony – Best Masked Children and Families
4.00 pm, Fort Revelin
MASKED DJ PARTY
9.00 pm, City Café
SWEETHEARTS MASKED BALL
Featuring: Đosi & Đivo
DAY THREE
Monday, 15 February
MASKED SCHOOL DAY
11.00 am, PROMENADE IN STRADUN
(participants include the Dubrovnik elementary schools pupils from 1st-4th grade)
Victory Ceremony – Best Masked Classes
2.00 pm, PROMENADE IN STRADUN
(participants include the Dubrovnik elementary and secondary schools pupils
from 5th-8th grade)
Victory Ceremony – Best Masked Classes
4.30 pm, Fort Revelin
MASKED DJ PARTY
DAY FOUR
Tuesday, 16 February
8.00 pm, MASKED PARADE IN STRADUN
FEATURING NAZBILJ GROUP AND DUBROVNIK BRASS BAND
8.30 pm, Marin Držić Square
Operetta LE MALADE IMAGINAIRE OR LIFE IS NOT A DREAM
Featuring Nazbilj Group
9.00 pm, City Café - Theatre
LAST MASKED BALL featuring Taliri Group
