Lokrum Island

Dalmatien · Kroatien · Monastery

When the Benedictines were driven from Lokrum in 1798, they circled the island one last time with their candles turned upside down – cursing anyone who would claim it as their own.

For nearly eight centuries Benedictine monks lived on the island off Dubrovnik, until they were forced out at the end of the 18th century. Legend tells that on their final night they processed around the island three times in black hooded robes, candles held upside down, repeating the words: cursed be anyone who takes Lokrum for his own pleasure. The three noblemen who then bought the island all met tragic ends – one fell from a window, one drowned off the island's shore, one hanged himself. Even the Habsburg archduke Maximilian, who built a summer residence here, ended his days before a firing squad in Mexico. To this day visitors are warned not to take even a stone from the island – and few will spend the night.

FAQ

Hvor ligger Lokrum Island?

Lokrum Island ligger i Dalmatien, Kroatien.

Oplysningerne bygger på lokal folketro og vidneberetninger.

Image: Diego Delso / CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons