Dubrovnik’s iconic stairs undergo first big restoration in 200 years

Dubrovnik’s iconic Jesuit Stairs (Photo credit: Sailko/CC BY 3.0)

Dubrovnik’s iconic Jesuit Stairs are undergoing their first comprehensive restoration in over two centuries, marking a significant investment in the city’s historic heart.

This careful renovation aims to preserve the landmark’s legacy and prevent further intervention for the next 50 years.

As work begins on the comprehensive restoration of the Jesuit Stairs, the Mayor of Dubrovnik, Mato Franković, Deputy Mayor Jelka Tepšić, Head of Property Management, General and Legal Affairs, and Chair of the Dubrovnik Institute for Restoration’s Governing Council, Marijeta Hladilo, and Director of the Institute, Mihaela Skurić, inspected the project.

This marks a continuation of the city’s systematic investments in Dubrovnik’s historic centre, representing the first thorough restoration of this 18th-century, urban landmark.

The restoration of the 197.25-square-metre stairs in Uz Jezuite Street forms part of the 2024 Dubrovnik Monument Restoration Programme, funded by the current City of Dubrovnik Budget, Grad Dubrovnik said.

The works include preparatory, construction, and conservation-restoration interventions on the entire staircase—from the base to Bošković Square.

“We have decided on a complete restoration of the steps to prevent the need for any further intervention over the next 50 years. We are all aware of the significance of the Jesuit Stairs—not only to our city but also as one of Dubrovnik’s most recognisable sights that visitors share with the world. In recent years, they have not been an adequate representation of what they should be,” said Mayor Franković.

He added that a compromise solution had been reached with the Ministry of Culture and Media and the Conservation Department for the renovation of Ruđer Bošković Square, as conservation authorities do not permit paving of the square.

(Photo credit: Grad Dubrovnik)

Institute Director Mihaela Skurić emphasised that all work on this important urban site is conducted under the watchful eye of the conservation service. She explained that some of the stairs had subsided due to erosion and require foundational support, while the remaining efforts will focus on conservation restoration.

The contract for the work has been signed with Projekt 22, a Dubrovnik-based company. The project will be supervised by the Conservation Department in Dubrovnik, with Marko Mostahinić as project manager.

The restoration team is led by stone conservator-restorer Tjaša Kolačko and stonemason Mihovil Šuljak. Professional oversight of the work will be carried out by Ivo Matković, with conservation responsibility handled by Sanja Radović from the Dubrovnik Conservation Department.

A four-month deadline has been established for the project’s completion, and to ensure work proceeds smoothly and on schedule, the entire area of the stairs has been cordoned off.