This year’s iCommons Summit will take place in the city of Dubrovnik on the coast of Croatia. Nicknamed, ‘The pearl of the Adriatic’, there is no doubt that this city will take your breath away. And yet there is much more to this city than meets the grateful eye.

Dubrovnik has endured sieges, earthquakes, occupying forces and wars as recent as the 1991 assault by the Yugoslav Army. Throughout its turbulent history, the city’s inhabitants have clung passionately to their belief in freedom above all else. The city’s age-old motto ‘Libertas’ is still a source of pride, and just one of the reasons why we are so thrilled with the invitation to host freedom-lovers around the world when they come to iCommons Summit this year. For three days, Dubrovnik’s walls will ring with new discussions about the struggle for freedom, this time for the freedom of information, culture and science for all around the world.

The bulk of the Summit events took place in two of Dubrovnik’s most important historical buildings. The first was a fortress called Revelin which was built in the 16th century to protect the eastern entrance to the city and the port.

Like most of the buildings in the city, Revelin is a constructed with a beautiful white stone found on neighboring islands. Walking through the vast main chamber where the keynotes will be held, it is still difficult to imagine how it sheltered over 1 500 people for over three months during the recent siege by the Yugoslav Army. During the Summer Festival held from mid-July to August, the venue is used for theatre performances. The view from Revelin’s roof (where we’ll be opening the Summit on the evening of Thursday the 14th of June) reveals a spectacular view of the city and the port.

Just a few minutes walk from the fort is the second venue for the Summit: the city’s quarantine, called Lazareti.

Now a vibrant centre for local culture and art, the quarantine was originally built in 1377 as a stopover for sailors disembarking in the city. The sailors were expected to stay at the quarantine for 40 days as a precaution against the spread of disease, especially important during times of plague.

Nowadays the Lazareti Art Workshop supports and hosts cultural events, and is especially devoted to empowering the youth through the support of their productions and initiatives. Lazareti will offer us conference facilities during the daytime and a concerting and chill-out venue in the evening.

In this setting, inspiration will certainly not be lacking for creative ideas and even better commons collabo