2-332-652 - Vivienne Sharp/Heritage Images

Bell tower, Dubrovnik, Croatia. The Adriatic port of Dubrovnik was founded by Roman refugees in the 7th century, and came under Byzantine rule after the fall of the Roman Empire. The city developed into a trading power and was an important centre of Slavic art and literature in the 15th-17th century. From the 14th century Dubrovnik was an independent city state, but it fell to Napoleon in 1808, after which the city passed to Austrian administration in 1815 and Yugoslavian in 1918. Dubrovnik was bombarded by the Serbs during Croatia's struggle for independence in 1991-1992.