June 20, 2020 - Dubrovnik was the first city in the world to introduce quarantine in 1377, a fact that has interested international media since the start of the coronavirus epidemic.
Namely, HRTurizam writes that while epidemics were raging around the world in the 14th century, including the plague, revolutionary measures were adopted in Dubrovnik to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious diseases in the Republic. The Adriatic Pearl was the first city in the world to introduce quarantine in 1377, the first system of anti-infective measures.
Thus, the people of Dubrovnik, already famous sailors and merchants at that time, prescribed measures for the protection of health and provided conditions for business even in times of great danger from the plague. After the first decision on anti-infective measures from 1377, the Senate chose the islands of Bobara and Supetar, the monastery of Sv. Marija on the island of Mljet, then in the middle of the 15th century, the construction of an infirmary in Danče began, and in the 1530s on the islet of Lokrum. In 1627, the construction of the Lazaret in Ploče began, which are the only fully preserved quarantine complex in the European part of the Mediterranean, and have been under UNESCO protection since 1994.
The emphasis on the Dubrovnik tradition in the fight against various epidemics since the 14th century has had an extremely positive response in international media, points out the Dubrovnik Tourist Board.
Some of the world's most famous media reported the story of the world's first quarantine, like the Washington Post, BBC, NYTimes, BBC News Mundo, Corriere della Sera, France 24, Bild, Rtl, La Vanguardia, 24 Horas, and ABC News.
The Dubrovnik Tourist Board and the City of Dubrovnik have thus used this important bit of history for marketing purposes in constant communication with foreign media, as well as in all promotional activities.
They also recently released an animated film called "Dubrovnik - safe vacation", starring the knight Orlando, who takes viewers into history, back in 1377, when the idea of quarantine in Lazareti was conceived as a way to fight various epidemics.
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