Dubrovnik was at the peak of its golden age when the 1667 earthquake leveled most of the town. Then It was at the mercy of its rivals including Venice and the Ottomans. Besides great diplomacy, one reason the republic survived was this building where the affairs of state could still be undertaken. The Sponza loggia fronts St. Blaise church and the column of Roland at right. Today the palace serves as the archives, one of the most important in the world since in the 13th century Dubrovnik required all public and private legal documents be registered.
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