Today people of Dubrovnik celebrate the day of their patron saint – St. Blaise. The saint had a major role in the life of the city. All the ships of the Dubrovnik Republic carried a flag with the effigy of the patron saint. Even today there are eighteen statues of St. Blaise on the city wall. Only one dates from recent times that is, the one on the inner Gates of Pile, the work of the Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović.
Legend says that Venetian fleet with 112 ships sailed into the Dubrovnik waters in 972 ostensibly to resupply their food but furtively to spy on the city’s defenses and overtake the city. Help came to the city unexpectably from the sky. St. Blaise revealed their pernicious plan to a priest Stojko while he was praying at night in the Church of St. Stephen and told him to inform the Senate about the real intention of the Venetians. After the Venetian attempt to overtake the city was forestalled, the people of Dubrovnik chose St. Blaise as their patron saint.
Today in Dubrovnik there is a Baroque church of St. Blaise from the beginning of 18th century. On top of it we find a statue of St. Blaise which had miraculously survived the fire of 1706. It is the work of an unknown master, a gilded silver statue of St. Blaise holding a model of the Town depicting Dubrovnik in the 15th century.
The Feast of St. Blaise starts on the Candlemas on 2nd February by releasing white doves (a symbol of freedom and peace) in front of the St. Blaise’s Church and by hoisting the St. Blaise’s flag on the Orlando’s column.
Veneration of St. Blaise was best reflected during the celebration of his feast, when masses of people came to the Dubrovnik. It was a feast for all inhabitants of the Republic. In order to enable everyone to attend the feast, Sloboština Sv. Vlaha (a special privilege granted only to St. Blaise) was introduced, whereby every offender, prisoner or exile was allowed to visit the Town freely two days before and after St. Blaise Day without penalty. This privilege was later extended to seven days before and after holiday.