Rožat

Rožat sits beside the Ombla in Dubrovnik’s suburban waterside district known as Rijeka dubrovačka. Its character comes from the river, Renaissance-era country-house landscape and the monastery complex on the waterfront, with the parish church of Our Lady of the Assumption standing above the settlement. Rožat’s parish is the oldest church community in Rijeka dubrovačka and can be traced to the period between 1295 and 1321; its Confraternity of St Mary preserved a register dating from 1321. The Franciscan Monastery of the Visitation was founded by the Bosnian Vicariate in 1393 as a house where friars could recover, receive care and obtain supplies. The earthquake of 1667 destroyed the earlier parish church, while the present building reflects later reconstruction; its bell tower was completed in 1894 and four bells were installed in 1923. Nearby, the Ombla spring feeds Dubrovnik’s principal water-supply system. Although Rožat belongs to the City of Dubrovnik, its riverside setting feels far removed from the Old Town, which remains accessible by local buses running towards Pile.

Rožat is not a conventional Adriatic village gathered around a seafront promenade; it follows the lower Ombla, where the river landscape opens into the Rijeka dubrovačka inlet. Its two religious landmarks occupy contrasting positions: the parish church of Our Lady of the Assumption stands above the houses, while the Franciscan Monastery of the Visitation lies close to the water. The parish church was first recorded in 1123, but the building lost in the 1667 earthquake was subsequently replaced. Founded in 1393, the monastery was also badly damaged by that earthquake and reconstructed while retaining elements of its earlier form. Rožat’s position near the Ombla spring carries practical importance because this source underpins the water supply of Dubrovnik and its surroundings.