In Pridvorje as in the Wide World
- nikolaradonich
- 4 days ago
- 5 min read
We had a festive Saturday night on May 17, 2025, in Pridvorje. The Proljeće pri Dvoru event was held, which for several years now the Stjepan Radić Cultural Association has been organizing in front of the Rector’s Palace in Pridvorje, as its central annual event.
In the past, the Rector’s Palace was the heart of Konavle and was its administrative center during the Republic. Fortunately for the people of Konavle and for those who love Konavle, the palace was renovated by the Society of Friends of Dubrovnik Antiquity, then led by Niko Kapetanić and Denis Orlić, until 2022. Niko Kapetanić, a visionary in the restoration of Konavle monuments, most strongly advocated the value and importance of this iconic place for Konavle, and during the renovation a threshing floor (gumno) was built in front of the palace for performances and events. Threshing floors were used in the villages of Konavle for threshing grain, and when there was no grain or lentils on them, they were used for dancing and entertainment. This threshing floor in front of the palace does not have walls and was made as a stage for dancers. It is sheltered by a grove where Dubrovnik poets once created their classics, and on the other side it faces the Konavle valley, from which the people of Konavle have fed themselves and the city for centuries. Thus, in the heart of Dubrovnik’s Konavle, the people of Pridvorje finally have a stage of their own — the perfect place for such events.
The heritage of this place inspired the organizers to a slightly different type of performance. Along with the court folk dancers, the Konavle Rector and the Konavle woman Luce appeared on the threshing floor in the so-called Pridvorski škerec. This couple moderated the performance in 4 acts.
The passionate actress Izmira Brautović in the role of Luce, and the brilliant Dubrovnik actor Edi Jertec in the role of the Rector, entertained the audience and made us laugh with their conversations that took place between individual performances of the folk dancers. Current historical stories that are still relevant in Konavle today were exchanged. During the Republic, famous literary works were created in this place in Konavle. The rectors who reigned here are now found in our school literature, and of course in the archives of the Republic. I hope that through this performance the organizers opened everyone’s eyes to the value of this new venue as a theater stage. There is something here that is lost in the city, Cavtat and Čilipi — it is the silence that is necessary for an outdoor performance. Here you can’t hear planes or other traffic, nor the noise from cafes or music from clubs.
The people of Pridvorje are devoted to their folklore, with both body and soul. For years now, they have gathered members from various villages, worked with the youngest, presented all possible musical instruments, and did so out of love and respect for their heritage. They do not receive income from tourism or regular funding from the national budget, so their diversity and commitment are even more worthy of respect. Every time they perform, I admire their many disciplines, the care they take with their costumes, the inclusion of very young members as well as the oldest, and the engagement of professional leaders. It is nice to see young people dedicated to their heritage.
Their program last night began with the youngest mandolinists, who were replaced on stage by the youngest dancers dancing the Potkolo traditional dance. The lijerica was played by a boy named Josip Letunić, son of the well-known musician and excellent lijerica player, Ivo Letunić. It is always a pleasure to see the change of generations and so many children gathered by folklore. The Pridvorjani are the champions in this. The performances of the youngest bring a smile to everyone’s faces, and their efforts are rewarded with the biggest applause. They were joined on stage by a little older group, and in front of them the little big toastmaster Luka Letunić addressed the audience with a few verses of the Konavle toast. We watched them dance the dances Denči, Čičak and Marica.
After them, the older mandolinists took to the stage, a great group led by Rikard Kužnin. They have been collecting awards and compliments for their work outside of Konavle for some time. Perfectly tuned, melodious, arranged, a most excellent group of young musicians who treated us to a mix of covers of Dalmatian compositions, and only the costumes they wore and their dedication to playing showed that they were from Konavle. They deservedly received a huge round of applause.
After the mandolinists we listened to a klapa consisting of 3 female and 6 male voices in a beautiful performance of the song, Konavle. After them, a choir performed the song Loza u Škripu and Snježnica by Nike Peškareva. The female voices in the song Snježnica sang in that archaic way well known in Konavle. For the moment we were back in the Konavle of our ancestors.
And then the toastmasters lined up on stage, each with a segment, each to their own Amen daBogda! part. The toasting was started by Ilija Kesovija, with his heroic cry, and was followed by Lukša Prokurica, Antonijo Đuka, Antonijo Madžar, Andrej Dragić and the brilliant Pavo Đukan. Too short from my point of view because a toast should be listened to for some time, not only because it is the way toasts in Konavle are made, but also to share blessings and to be nicer towards each other.
The Konavle toast has enjoyed the status of a protected intangible cultural asset of the Republic of Croatia since 2018. The bearers of protection are those who perform it, so there is no cultural asset if the toast is not spoken and taught further. The list of toast bearers includes about fifteen people from Konavle who were known toastmasters at the time it was declared a cultural asset, and tonight we heard four new toast bearers. The Konavle toast lives on!
After the toastmasters, we enjoyed the performance of the oldest dancers. Always smiling, all of them with proud postures, they treated us to some rarely seen performances. Although it is always nice to watch them, last night in front of the Palace they seemed to have let go of their proverbial strength a little, so they had a lighter step, perhaps more like the Čilipi dancers. The thunderous voice of Gornja banda was missing, there was no “sound like a ball on the ground”. However, Stjepan Marinović immediately brought us back to Gornja banda by playing the lijerica (lyre) and mijeh (bagpipe). Stjepan bravely took to the mijeh to show that it can and must be done, and I hope that we will soon see him with the svrdonica (type of flute) at a new performance. In these three Konavle instruments, eternal Konavle, older than the Republic and the Rector’s Palace, lives and it is good to hear them occasionally, just for orientation, so as not to get lost in Dalmatian melodiousness.
The KUD of Pridvorje should be congratulated for their work, and on this occasion the Society of Friends should also be congratulated for the restoration of monuments that live and serve the community. Their members give their free time to the community, do what they love, and work miracles.
