Medieval Pharmacy in Dubrovnik

SIGHTSEEING, DUBROVNIK Updated : May 10, 2017, 10.18 AM IST

Priti Zararia

Priti Zararia is a traveller, explorer, travel writer and a photographer. She has lived and traveled around Europe extensively. She has delved into diverse historical and cultural experiences across Western, Central, Eastern Europe and Asia. Besides the usual ‘things to do’ her guides feature must-try food & wines, must watch musicals and hike to offbeat places around popular destinations. She has traveled to over 30 countries and dreams of traveling to each and every country across the globe. Other than writing for Happytrips, she posts exclusive travel stories on her travel blog https://ilovetripping.com/.


Located inside the Franciscan monastery, the medieval pharmacy is part of the Church of Our Saviour. The monastery situated at the entrance of the church was established to heal the sick and poor. The pharmacy has been functional since its establishment 700 years ago. Founded in 1317, the pharmacy is one of the oldest in Europe. Most of the containers and potions are dated from the 15th century. The pharmacy is usually crowded with locals as well as tourists. While locals still visit the pharmacy seeking cure for little ailments, tourists can go around and know about ancient curing methods. The medicinal garden behind the monastery features an array of herbs, including sage and mint, which were used to create healing concoctions. Many of pharmacy’s original objects like stone bowls, ancient lab equipment, ceramics and medical books are on display in the monastery museum. Take a walk around this medieval marvel and get to know how the world of medicine has evolved since then.
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