The first partner meeting of THE SOURCE held in Dubrovnik

From 22 to 24 April, Dubrovnik hosted the first partner meeting of the project THE SOURCE –
Guardians of the Source, with the Red History Museum representing the Croatian partner. The
three-day programme gathered representatives of partner organisations from Bulgaria, Italy,
Spain, and Croatia, combining working sessions with field visits centred on water and its place
in the city’s history.

During the meeting, partners visited the Red History Museum and learned about its work, and
toured Maritimo Recycling, a non-profit organisation that removes plastic waste from aquatic
ecosystems and transforms it into new products using innovative technologies — an example of
circular resource use and sustainable management of water and the environment.
The programme then turned to Dubrovnik’s historical relationship with water. Partners visited
the source of the Ombla river, guided by Tihomir Matić, spokesperson of Dubrovnik
Waterworks, and took the guided tour “From the Source to the People: History of Dubrovnik
Fountains” through the Old Town, following the traces of the historical aqueduct system from the
source to the city’s fountains.

Alongside the fieldwork, partners held working sessions presenting the first research results and
agreeing on the next steps in the project’s implementation. THE SOURCE continues to highlight
the role of water as a shared resource, connecting historical heritage with today’s challenges of
sustainability and climate change.