At the eastern end of the Stradun, across the street from the Church of Saint Blaise, is the bronze Marin Držić Statue. At the bottom of the seated statue is a plaque that reads “MARIN DRŽIĆ (1508-1567) – On the occasion of the 500th anniversary of his birth – City of Dubrovnik.”
Držić (1508-1567) was a famous Croatian playwright and writer often called the Shakespeare of Dubrovnik. Many regard Držić as one of the most important Renaissance playwrights and prose authors in Croatian literature.
Before being relocated to the front of the Marin Držić Theatre, the statue stood in Babin Kuk, a suburb northwest of Old Town.
Recently, tourists have started rubbing the bronze statue’s nose, causing a shiny spot. They believe in the legend that rubbing the nose of the statue or sitting in Držić’s lap brings good luck.