The Dubrovnik Quarantine
THE FIRST PROTECTIVE MEASURE AGAINST PLAGUE
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NUMBER 40
The name quarantine comes from the Italian word “quaranta”, which means 40. The initial time of isolation was 30 days, but in the 15th century it was extended to 40 days. The reason is the mysticism of the number 40 in Christian religions.
In Christianity, number 40 is a symbol of a trial and preparation. In the Bible, you’ll find that Jews, chosen by God, walked from Egypt to the Promised land for 40 years. During the General Flood, it rained for 40 days and nights. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, where the devil tempted him. Forty hours passed from the death of Christ to the resurrection, and forty days from the resurrection to his ascension to Heaven.
Today, there is the same symbolism in the forty days of Lent before Easter. By the way, a woman’s pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks!
Lazaretto is the name of a particular building that served as quarantine. The name comes from the name of the island of St. Lazarus (Santo Lazaro), situated in front of Venice, where the first lazaretto was built in 1423.
The lazaretto in Dubrovnik was used as quarantine by the end of the 19th century, as long as the plague was still appearing in the hinterland of Dubrovnik, on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the end of the Ars Moriendi tour you’ll have a chance to explore the Lazareti complex, today the creative corner of Dubrovnik.
Quarantine was introduced long ago, at the end of 14th beginning of 15th century, in several cities on the Mediterranean (Dubrovnik, Milan, Venice), to suppress the spread of plague. All visitors to those cities, arriving from the ports where plague had occurred, had to stay in the quarantine for a certain time, to prove they were healthy.
The Dubrovnik Quarantine
THE FIRST PROTECTIVE
MEASURE AGAINST PLAGUE
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NUMBER 40
The name quarantine comes from the Italian word “quaranta”, which means 40. The initial time of isolation was 30 days, but in the 15th century it was extended to 40 days. The reason is the mysticism of the number 40 in Christian religions.
In Christianity, number 40 is a symbol of a trial and preparation. In the Bible, you’ll find that Jews, chosen by God, walked from Egypt to the Promised land for 40 years. During the General Flood, it rained for 40 days and nights. Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness, where the devil tempted him. Forty hours passed from the death of Christ to the resurrection, and forty days from the resurrection to his ascension to Heaven.
Today, there is the same symbolism in the forty days of Lent before Easter. By the way, a woman’s pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks!
Lazaretto is the name of a particular building that served as quarantine. The name comes from the name of the island of St. Lazarus (Santo Lazaro), situated in front of Venice, where the first lazaretto was built in 1423.
The lazaretto in Dubrovnik was used as quarantine by the end of the 19th century, as long as the plague was still appearing in the hinterland of Dubrovnik, on the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the end of the Ars Moriendi tour you’ll have a chance to explore the Lazareti complex, today the creative corner of Dubrovnik.
