Blessing of the bells for seamen…

Our Lady of Danača Church is a votive little church of the seamen from Dubrovnik in particular, whose captains still gladly nurture this tradition of saluting while convent nuns always tirelessly respond by blessing the church bells.
In fact, whenever ships are leaving Dubrovnik or just passing by, one can hear the sirene coming from ships while as an echo respond the bells from centuries old little white Church of Our Lady of Mercy, or as locals from Dubrovnik call it, Our Lady of Danača. It is a touching and beautiful tradition of Franciscan sisters of Immaculate Conception who salute seamen, wishing them fair winds and following seas, a safe return to their families. Now these convent nuns also salute the crew and passengers from big tourist cruisers who have accepted this nice custom of Dubrovnik, and seldom, once they set foot on ground, captains from floating hotels visit nuns and their convent situated right on the very sea rock. It was established the same year as cemetery, in 1457, upon the decision of a Great Council of the Republic of Ragusa where danče served as quarantine, an isolation place for all infected by plague or people who may possibly have been exposed to a similar communicable disease. The church is also famous for two master pieces – paintings: polyptych Madonna with Saints by Lovre Dobričević from 1465 and polyptych Madonna with Saints by Nikola Božidarević from 1517.