It all started in 1377, when the Black Death was on its way to killing a third of Europeans. Dubrovnik, the center of the Republic of Ragusa, was among that era’s wealthiest merchant cities, and it wanted to maintain that status.
At the beginning of the 14th century, Dubrovnik thrived. Republic of Ragusa was a multinational republic whose citizens enjoyed long-term economic and political stability. Trade and diplomacy flourished. The city’s harbor was welcoming ships from near and far. Members of government were elected democratically and functioned within a General Council, Senate, and Small Council. Dubrovnik used to be the meeting place of merchant’s caravans and travelers from all over the world.
The Black Death struck Dubrovnik for the first time in 1348. In four years time, it killed between 2000 and 10000 citizens, out of a population believed to have numbered between 6,000 and 30,000.
The first quarantine was thus built at Ploče. A building created to hold quarantined persons was called lazaretto. It had the purpose of isolating the travelers and goods from the eastern countries, where the outbreaks of contagious diseases were frequent.
The Lazarettos, consisting of eight preserved buildings and five courtyards, were renovated in 1623 from the seaside in order to also enable landing of larger boats. The complex included large warehouses for goods and livestock, as well as lodgings for the extended stay of merchants and travelers in isolation.
In the 17th century the Dubrovnik Lazarettos were the largest merchants transit center on the Adriatic, and one of the best organized quarantines on the Mediterranean.