Cloister gardens
A cloister garden is a specifically arranged garden space within the monastery complex. In the cloister of the Benedictine monastery, ornamental plants for altars were grown, but the cloister was primarily a special space intended for relaxation and for the fulfilment of spiritual needs. The spatial arrangement of the central garden area of the cloister is divided by two paths that intersect in its very centre, therefore, mostly low-growing plants were planted, along with some shrubs and trees.
The first Romanesque cloister was surrounded on three sides by porches with double pillars, while on the south side it was most likely enclosed only by a high wall. The construction of this medieval cloister began after the completion of the Romanesque church, as evidenced by the later embedded fragments from the 11th century that function as window and door frames of the west monastery wing, and it can be assumed that this cloister, whose remains we see today between the remains of a Romanesque-Gothic basilica and the newer Gothic-Renaissance monastery, was completed during the 13th century. The area of the Romanesque cloister, the centre of which is occupied by the recently renovated large well, was landscaped in 2016 in the spirit of designing a monastery garden with a central circular green parterre area, around which the green area is divided into four parts.
The Gothic-Renaissance cloister is the remnant of a larger and more luxurious complex of one of the most representative monastic complexes in the Dubrovnik Republic. Surrounded by four arcaded porches, it certainly was a sign of the significance the Lokrum monastery held in Dubrovnik and the powerful congregation of St. Justine to whom it belonged. The cloister originally had porches on all four sides, above which there were terraces over the north, west and south wings (the existing terrace above the south wing is an extension from the first half of the 20th century), and above the east wing was the first floor of the building with monastery cells. The main design element of the garden is the boxwood hedge, which borders the paths and forms a circular shape at the intersection in the centre. Of the other elements from the 19th century, camellia and aucuba bushes stand out, as well as very old specimens of bitter oranges.
Gardens of Maximilian
Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg, brother of the Austrian Emperor Francis Joseph I, bought the island of Lokrum in 1859 for his vacation residence. In the same year, he began the construction of a summer house in the monastery complex and began landscaping garden spaces in all areas of the island. With his arrival, a new period in the history of garden and landscape design of Lokrum began. Lokrum was a kind of an experimental laboratory for Maximilian to acclimatize exotic plants. He treated the entire island as a park, applying different principles of landscaping. His period was marked by the construction of a system of garden terraces within the castle, oriented towards the open sea, to which the refurbishment of the old Renaissance cloister is related. During the Habsburg administration, the whole of Lokrum became an open green space suitable for long walks and enjoying nature. The authentic Maximilian period of the design of Lokrum gardens lasted until the end of 1863 when he last resided on the island.
Botanical garden
The Botanical Garden was founded by the Academy of Sciences and Arts in 1959 to research the introduction and adaptation of foreign plant species from tropical and subtropical regions in our climate. The plants are mostly of Australian and American origin, grown from seeds obtained by exchange with botanical gardens from all over the world. Trees and shrubs from similar climates, such as central Chile, southern and eastern Australia, central and southern California, and southern Africa, were mainly introduced.
The plan of the Botanical Garden was designed by the renowned Dubrovnik landscape architect Bruno Šišić, DSc. Since it was established, it has been under the care of Lav Rajevski, DSc, a senior research associate at the then Biological Institute in Dubrovnik, who was in charge of creating the botanical garden on Lokrum.
During the Homeland War (1991 and 1992), about fifty projectiles caused great damage to plants and ancillary facilities. The bulk of its library and documentation was burned in the fire. Renovation of the garden began in 1993.
As the only island botanical garden in Croatia, it operates today as part of the Institute for Marine and Coastal Research of the University of Dubrovnik. It occupies an area of 3.3 ha, and in the exhibition area (1.45 ha) about five hundred plant species are grown, mostly trees and shrubs. The garden is divided into 13 fields that are designed to present related plant species in the same space, members of the same genera or plant families, or those adapted to similar conditions. There is also a greenhouse in the garden, located outside the exhibition area, in which about two hundred species of succulents grow.
Path of paradise
The Path of Paradise is the central part of the unique landscape and architectural system of three avenues, planted during the time of Archduke Maximilian, which stretches from the lower part of the island towards Fort Royal. It was originally bordered on both sides by a row of Mediterranean cypresses (Cupressus sempervirens 'Pyramidalis') and stone curbs. One edge was bounded by a gutter for collecting rainwater, which drained the water into a tank, and the water was then used for the palace complex.
Traditional olive groves
Traditional olive groves are the only authentic remnant of the cultivated plantations of the Benedictine Abbey on Lokrum. There are two olive groves on the island, one in the lazaretto quarantine facility and the other near the monastery, which is located between the coast and the botanical garden. Traditional olive groves differ in the way agricultural practices are applied, and are cultivated extensively, mostly without agricultural machinery. “Uljarica”, “Bjelica” and “Oblica” are olive tree varieties that are mainly present in olive groves on the island of Lokrum.
