Dubrovnik: Limestone or Marble?
Jul 27th, 2006, 06:48 PM
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Dubrovnik: Limestone or Marble?
Is the main street of Old Town Dubrovnik made of limestone or marble? Does anybody know a definitive source that accurately documents the stone? Considering the limestone cliffs around Dubrovnik, I gotta wonder if the street isn't made of limestone rather than marble.
The following quotes certainly are contradictory:
Travel + Liesure: "Stradun, Dubrovnik's limestone main drag"
Lonely Planet: "Stroll down Dubrovnik's marble streets"
Orient Lines: "Stradun, the broad limestone street"
Chamber Music Holidays: "The marble paved Stradun"
Picasso Tours: "Dubrovnik ... with polished limestone streets"
New York: "the marble-paved main drag, the Stradun"
Affordable Tours: "Placa, the gleaming limestone street"
The following quotes certainly are contradictory:
Travel + Liesure: "Stradun, Dubrovnik's limestone main drag"
Lonely Planet: "Stroll down Dubrovnik's marble streets"
Orient Lines: "Stradun, the broad limestone street"
Chamber Music Holidays: "The marble paved Stradun"
Picasso Tours: "Dubrovnik ... with polished limestone streets"
New York: "the marble-paved main drag, the Stradun"
Affordable Tours: "Placa, the gleaming limestone street"
Jul 28th, 2006, 08:40 AM
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After a quick internet search, the confusion on this issue seems widespread! I was in Dubrovnik last month and thought it was limestone, but couldn't be sure.
This website (www.litosonline.com/articles/60/ar6002e.shtml) seems to clear things up a bit though: "Stari Grad, the perfectly preserved old town, is unique because of its marble (hard limestone) paved squares, steep cobbled streets, tall houses, convents, churches, palaces, fountains and museums, all cut from the same light-coloured limestone."
...And from Wikipedia: "Marble is a metamorphic rock resulting from the metamorphism of limestone, composed mostly of calcite (a crystalline form of calcium carbonate, CaCO3). It is extensively used for sculpture, as a building material, and in many other applications. The word 'marble' is colloquially used to refer to many other stones that are capable of taking a high polish."
So, technically, I guess everyone's right. Thanks for giving me something to ponder this afternoon! Slow day at work!
This website (www.litosonline.com/articles/60/ar6002e.shtml) seems to clear things up a bit though: "Stari Grad, the perfectly preserved old town, is unique because of its marble (hard limestone) paved squares, steep cobbled streets, tall houses, convents, churches, palaces, fountains and museums, all cut from the same light-coloured limestone."
...And from Wikipedia: "Marble is a metamorphic rock resulting from the metamorphism of limestone, composed mostly of calcite (a crystalline form of calcium carbonate, CaCO3). It is extensively used for sculpture, as a building material, and in many other applications. The word 'marble' is colloquially used to refer to many other stones that are capable of taking a high polish."
So, technically, I guess everyone's right. Thanks for giving me something to ponder this afternoon! Slow day at work!
Jul 28th, 2006, 04:33 PM
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Limestone and marble are apparently distinctly different, even though limestone is the "parent" of marble.
"The main difference between limestone and marble is that limestone is a sedimentary rock, typically composed of calcium carbonate fossils, and marble is a metamorphic rock. Limestone forms when shells, sand, and mud are deposited at the bottom of oceans and lakes and over time solidify into rock. Marble forms when sedimentary limestone is heated and squeezed by natural rock-forming processes so that the grains recrystallize. If you look closely at a limestone, you can usually see fossil fragments (for example, bits of shell) held together by a calcite matrix. Limestone is more porous than marble, because there are small openings between the fossil fragments. Marble is usually light colored and is composed of crystals of calcite locked together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Marble may contain colored streaks that are inclusions of non-calcite minerals."
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/acidrain/4.html
"Limestone will convert into marble with virtually any type of metamorphism."
http://csmres.jmu.edu/geollab/fichte...s/Marble1.html
The question remains: Are the Dubov streets made of marble or limestone?
"The main difference between limestone and marble is that limestone is a sedimentary rock, typically composed of calcium carbonate fossils, and marble is a metamorphic rock. Limestone forms when shells, sand, and mud are deposited at the bottom of oceans and lakes and over time solidify into rock. Marble forms when sedimentary limestone is heated and squeezed by natural rock-forming processes so that the grains recrystallize. If you look closely at a limestone, you can usually see fossil fragments (for example, bits of shell) held together by a calcite matrix. Limestone is more porous than marble, because there are small openings between the fossil fragments. Marble is usually light colored and is composed of crystals of calcite locked together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Marble may contain colored streaks that are inclusions of non-calcite minerals."
http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/acidrain/4.html
"Limestone will convert into marble with virtually any type of metamorphism."
http://csmres.jmu.edu/geollab/fichte...s/Marble1.html
The question remains: Are the Dubov streets made of marble or limestone?
Aug 31st, 2006, 08:44 AM
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Hi HappyCheesehead,
Gosh, haven't been on here in a while. You'll love Croatia. I was there 10 days and it was simply idyllic.
I particularly loved Dubrovnik (despite the slippery streets of unknown substance) and the small island of Sipan, where I had the best meal of my life (delectable filet mignon with truffle foam). There's not much on Sipan, but it's completely uncrowded (compared with places like Hvar and Dubrovnik) and a lovely place to get away from it all.
Otherwise, Hvar, despite its touristy nature, is very beautiful and we had a fabulous night there visiting the various clubs and bars before retiring to the boat.
If you're looking for somewhere to simply relax, head to Korcula, birthplace of Marco Polo and one of the most picturesque islands as you approach from the sea.
For astonishing views, incredible buildings and a surprise around every corner (a mediaeval fair, a cliff-top restaurant), you can't beat Dubrovnik. There's a reason people rave about it. It's because there's a touch of magic within its magnificent city walls!
Split is also lovely, with a myriad of shops, restaurants and bars to visit, but it's the poorer cousin of Dubrovnik when it comes to aesthetic pleasures.
In general, the food was fantastic (though not as cheap as people tend to imply) and the country stunned at every turn with its unspoiled beauty.
Hope you have a great trip!
Gosh, haven't been on here in a while. You'll love Croatia. I was there 10 days and it was simply idyllic.
I particularly loved Dubrovnik (despite the slippery streets of unknown substance) and the small island of Sipan, where I had the best meal of my life (delectable filet mignon with truffle foam). There's not much on Sipan, but it's completely uncrowded (compared with places like Hvar and Dubrovnik) and a lovely place to get away from it all.
Otherwise, Hvar, despite its touristy nature, is very beautiful and we had a fabulous night there visiting the various clubs and bars before retiring to the boat.
If you're looking for somewhere to simply relax, head to Korcula, birthplace of Marco Polo and one of the most picturesque islands as you approach from the sea.
For astonishing views, incredible buildings and a surprise around every corner (a mediaeval fair, a cliff-top restaurant), you can't beat Dubrovnik. There's a reason people rave about it. It's because there's a touch of magic within its magnificent city walls!
Split is also lovely, with a myriad of shops, restaurants and bars to visit, but it's the poorer cousin of Dubrovnik when it comes to aesthetic pleasures.
In general, the food was fantastic (though not as cheap as people tend to imply) and the country stunned at every turn with its unspoiled beauty.
Hope you have a great trip!
Sep 1st, 2006, 08:23 AM
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On a cruise, island-hopping with a bunch of other mid-20ish Antipodeans. We pre-booked but I'm sure there would be plenty of opportunities to stay aboard a boat for a night or two at the last minute. They'll have information at all the main tourist offices and probably at the ports as well.
