Alright folks, buckle up because today I’m spilling the beans on my latest adventure: figuring out exactly how tall that giant, gorgeous fountain smack dab in the middle of Old Town Dubrovnik is – the Onofrio’s Large Fountain. This wasn’t just some lazy Google search, nah, I went old school.
The Why and The Gear
So, the question popped into my head after seeing about a million pictures of it online. Everyone talks about it, it’s iconic, but nobody seemed to just spit out a simple number for its height. Drove me nuts. Decided right then I was gonna get a real measure, for my own peace of mind and maybe to help out fellow curious souls.
Dusted off my trusty gear:
- My trusty 5-meter tape measure (figured that’d be enough, right?).
- A compact laser distance meter (the fancy backup, just in case).
- A notepad and pen (old habits die hard).
- My camera (gotta document the struggle!).
- Comfy shoes (seriously, crucial for those stone streets).
Grabbed an early train down to Dubrovnik, aiming to beat the cruise ship crowds. Coffee in hand, ready for action.
Finding the Damn Thing (Easy Part)
Getting into Old Town Dubrovnik is always an experience. Those massive walls, the bustle near Pile Gate. Walked straight down the Stradun – the main street – and boom, there it was. Can’t miss it. That big stone dome thing sitting right at the end of the street where everything converges. Looks even chunkier in person than in photos.
Crowds were already starting to build around it. People taking pictures, kids splashing in the water that flows around the base, pigeons everywhere doing their thing. The stone felt cool and rough to the touch when I got close.
The Measuring Shenanigans (Hard Part)
Okay, now for the fun part. How do you measure a giant stone fountain that’s basically a multi-layered cake? And one that’s constantly surrounded by tourists? Yeah.
First, I tried my laser distance meter. Pointed it straight up from the base to the very tip-top of the dome part. Juggled it a bit in the crowd. Got a couple of readings: fluctuating around the 7.5 to 8 meter mark. Wasn’t totally confident though, with people brushing past and the weird angles.
Time for the tape measure. I figured measuring one of the big stone blocks at the base was a safer bet than trying to climb the damn thing. Found a likely block near the ground level. Unfurled the tape, pressed one end firmly against the bottom of the block. Now, leaning awkwardly to read the tape where it met the top edge. People were definitely staring at the weirdo fondling the fountain stones!
Turns out that block was about 80 centimeters tall. So, I counted how many similar blocks were stacked vertically from the ground level up to the bottom ledge of the main bowl structure. Counted them carefully. About 3 full blocks high to reach that first significant ledge. Did the math: 80cm x 3 = 240cm (so 2.4 meters) just to get to the bowl section.
Then, eyeballed the rest. The bowl itself curves up into the dome structure. Harder to count precise blocks there because the stones get smaller and more curved. Based on the proportions and where my laser was pointing earlier, I figured the main bowl and dome section added another 5.5 to 6 meters on top.
Added it up: Roughly 2.4 meters (base to bowl ledge) plus about 5.7 meters (bowl and dome) = 8.1 meters total height. My laser readings clustered around 8 meters seemed to back that up!
The Big Reveal & Cool Factoid
So, after dodging selfie sticks and doing my best contortionist act against the stonework, I’m pretty solid on this: Onofrio’s Large Fountain stands about 8 meters tall (that’s roughly 26 feet for my fellow Americans).
Here’s the coolest nugget I confirmed while chatting with a local history buff who saw me measuring: The fountain wasn’t just some fancy decoration back in the 1400s when they built it. That big dome? Part of an ancient air-cooling system for the water! The water flowed down from the hills into the fountain, and the shape and porous stone helped cool it down naturally before it splashed out into the channels around the base. Genuinely clever old-school engineering! No wonder it’s lasted this long.
Moral of the story? Sometimes the simplest questions – like “How tall is that thing?” – lead you down the rabbit hole of actually touching history and learning some genuinely clever old-world tricks. Plus, proving Google sometimes needs a helping hand from a guy with a tape measure! A good day out.
