Dubrovnik - Orlando's column
by Natasa Lujic
According to legend, Roland led a campaign to defend Ragusa against Saracen marauders Spucent and his people, and as their expression of gratitude, Ragusan people built a monument to Roland. However, this legend is untrue since it is known that Roland fell at Ronscesvalles in 778, victim of Basque ambush. Over the years, those Basque were transformed by minstrel tradition into Saracenes, and it is a fact that monuments to Roland were commonly erected in free towns across the Holy Roman Empire, the most famous example being in Bremen. The motive probably originated in northern parts of Germany. Orlando is here dressed in armor, young-looking with curly hair and a typical gothic smile. On the statue's plinth, below Orlando's feet, you can see the faint carving of a straight line. This is the length of the great Saracen-buster's forearm, so called "elbow" which measures 51.2 cm, and was used as the yardstick for the standard Ragusan unit of length in cloth-trading. In the period between 1419 and 1808, Dubrovnik hoisted her Libertas banner from Roland's flagstaff, which today is also a custom during the festivities. The banner has St. Blaise and an inscription "libertas" embroided on to it. During the historic times, at this place, people were informed of various government decisions, and festivities, but also verdicts were reached and punishments executed for which this column has also been called "the column of shame." In 1825, Orlando's column collapsed bacuse of the very strong wind, and was kept in a storage for about 500 years.
Join in and write your own page! It's easy to do. How? |
