Ragusa Republicans
- They established a free public hospital in 1301.
- They established a free public pharmacy in 1317. And it's still there.
- They opened a "retirement home" for the poor in 1347 and a city orphanage in 1432.
- They outlawed slavery and the slave trade in 1418 (over 400 years before the US did).
They were merchants and diplomats, preferring trade over war and colonization. Ragusa's motto: "Liberty is not well sold for all the gold in the world."
The sign over the Council chambers: "Forget the private and take care of the public." (Some translate, "Manage the public affairs as if you had no private interests.") Are you listening, US Congress?
Oh, and the streets were (and still are) paved with marble. Nice.
Fort Lovrijenac
The fort is really pretty and fun, has great views, and is not visited by large tour groups. It is also the setting of a yearly production of Hamlet, which must be pretty awesome.
Fun fact found on Wikipedia (so it must be true): To ensure loyalty, the troops in the fort were rotated every 30 days. And to make extra sure, they were given only 30 days of rations when they went into the fort. (Between that and the wall thickness, gives you the impression that there was some insecurity on the part of the townsfolk with regard to their protectors, doesn't it?)