Blessing of the Bells for Sailors

Whenever leaving the city or just passing by, ships sound their horns, and as an echo from the land, the bells of the centuries-old white church of St. Mary of Grace ring out, known to Dubrovnik residents as the Church of Our Lady of Danče. This beautiful and heartfelt tradition, kept by the Franciscan sisters of the Immaculate Conception, greets sailors, wishing them calm seas, a safe voyage, and a secure return to their families. The church of Our Lady of Danče is a votive church, especially for Dubrovnik sailors, whose captains still salute it today. The sisters tirelessly respond with the ringing of the church bells. Today, the sisters also respond to the crews and passengers of large tourist cruise ships that have adopted this lovely Dubrovnik tradition. Often, when stepping ashore, the captains of floating hotels visit the sisters and their convent, which stands on a small rocky outcrop in the sea. The church was established in 1457 by a decision of the Grand Council of the Dubrovnik Republic, and the surrounding area once served as a quarantine for those potentially infected with plague. The church holds two Dubrovnik artistic masterpieces: the polyptych “Madonna with Saints” by Lovro Dobričević from 1465 and the polyptych “Mother of God with Saints” by Nikola Božidarević from 1517.