At the end of Stradun (before turning to the Habour) is the most notable building, the famous Sponza Palace. Sponza Palace was built from 1516 to 1522 & during the time of the Republic it was the custom office, the state mint and state treasury (think Bank). Sponza now houses the most important cultural institution - the Dubrovnik State Archives, within which are keep many precious authentic documents on the thousand-year history of the Dubrovnik Republic. It is also home to the Memorial Room of the Defenders of Dubrovnik in the Homeland War in 1991. Our Local guide explains that Sponza palace derived its name from the word for the spot where rainwater was collected (Spongia-”alluvium”) according to the former use of the spot it was built on. It is also one of the few buildings in the old town to survive the 1667 earthquake mainly intact! On the front facade there is a sculpture of San Biagio, patron saint of Dubrovnik. Our group went in & were briefed further on its history & architectural. Just in front of the Sponza Palace is the famous Church of Saint Blaise (the patron Saint of Dubrovnik) which we did not manage to go it ti appreciate further...

The palace is worth stopping in for a look and a quick photo. Be sure to see the memorial/tribute to the many volunteers who lost their lives defending the city during the Homeland War. You could easily lose hours reading each individual story and I would encourage visitors to take a bit of time to read even a few.

The Sponza Palace, also called Divona, is from the 16th century. Its architecture is in Venetian style. It is worth knowing, as it is very beautiful inside and outside. Next to it is the Clock Tower, with its 31 meters high. It was built in 1444, with the bell of 1509. From time to time the "true" - bronze men ring the bell!

Apart from the central courtyard and the hall in memory of Dubrovnik's resistance during the war in Yugoslavia, I did not see an indication to visit the palace ... besides the photos and reviews seem very old about the visit. Currently the façade is in restoration so not even possibility of a beautiful photo in the evening. Not included in the Pass actually but probably the rooms and floors are closed.