Photos

The shot was taken from Dubrovnik’s wall. The fountain has always been a meeting spot for locals and what I remember about it from years ago was the presence of the local GUSLAR, a singer of epic songs, dressed in national costume, playing his GUSLE and singing in a plaintive voice.
The Gusle has been used by the Croats in Herzegovina, Dalmatian Hinterland (Zagora), Lika, as well as in Bosnia and Western Bosnia as an accompaniment for epic poetry for hundreds of years. It is suggested that the Gusle arrived in Croatia between the 8th and the 9th century, originating from western Asia. Often they were constructed by the singers and players themselves, shepherds or even by specialized Gusle builders from urban areas.(Wikipedia)
Most lyrics center around historical figures who played an important role in Croatian history (often folk heroes who died tragical deaths) or significant historical events (mostly battles against invaders or occupying powers).
The Guslar is long gone but the fountain has survived the recent wars and is still a meeting place for locals and tourists.
THE HISTORY OF ONOFRIO’S FOUNTAIN:
The famous Italian architect from Naples, Onofrio della Cava built a fountain in 1438 which is today known as the large Onofrio's fountain, although it was heavily damaged in 1667 earthquake. The fountain is located in the center of a small square near the Franciscan monastery and the Pila Gate. In those days most of the cities in Dalmatia handled the problem of water supply by building rainwater tanks, but the people of Dubrovnik wanted fresh spring water in their city. Onofrio built an aqueduct that supplied water to the city from the spring Šumet in the mainland, 12 km distant. The larger Onofrio's fountain is circular in shape and at the same time it can serve as a water tank. The water flows from figures of 16 masked faces – "maskeroni". Small Onofrio's fountain is located on the opposite end of Stradun and it supplied water to the marketplace on Luža square.