Dubrovnik Shelling

Would someone please explain to me what good it does to have a cultural and historical site declared a world treasure and as such protected by UNESCO?

Such a designation was given to the medieval city of Dubrovnik in Croatia, the indescribably beautiful, centuries-old walled city with hundreds of irreplaceable historical and cultural buildings, mostly from the 16th and 17th centuries. George Bernard Shaw called Dubrovnik “the pearl of the Adriatic.”

The Serbian Yugo army bombed and shelled it with heavy artillery last winter for many weeks. I was hoping that the reported damage was exaggerated. Today, with a heavy heart, I can say that the destruction is worse than anyone has reported or imagined. I had the occasion to see a recently issued book with about 100 pictures showing the destroyed sites of the old city. The beautiful bell tower at the entrance from the harbor is gone; the Franciscan and Dominican monasteries are heavily damaged.

The pictures are shocking and upsetting to anyone who has ever visited Dubrovnik. Worse yet, these pictures are from the attacks last December. In the meantime, there has been more severe shelling.

HILDA M. FOLEY

Santa Ana