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Trg iliti pjaca, plokata, negdje i poljana središnji je dio grada, mjesto posvećeno svim najvažnijim javnim, gradskim te komunalnim sadržajima i poslovima, mjesto zajedništva svega što se zove gradom. Trg je zapravo svojevrsna tržnica naših naravi.
Na njoj/njemu vidljivije se nego drugdje prožimaju sve naše prostorne i vremenske protege, a to se najbolje osjeti u podne kad sunce zastane u zenitu, kad se kazaljke poklope i sat na kuli počne odbrojavati ure, kad zvona zazvone te kao na znak startnog pištolja golubovi, stvorenja koja uvijek nešto kljucaju, ponajviše svjetlost samu, uzlete nad gradom. Podne na trgu i trg u podne podsjećaju na božanske kategorije - biti u podne na trgu znači naći se u povlaštenoj ulozi uživatelja podneblja koje zna što je gušt i što je mjera.
Nezaobilazni inventar svake pjace
Ako na pjaci i nisu svi najvažniji gradski sadržaji, oni se tu itekako osjećaju bez obzira na to jesu li u neposrednoj blizini ili pak dislocirani s primislima na općegradsko dobro. Još od doba grčke agore i rimskog foruma u „inventar“ trga svakako spadaju važne političke, vjerske, sudbene, merkantilne i ine gradske zgrade, uzdignute u rang znamenitosti, a meni je ipak od svih najdraži zdenac s reljefnim prizorima svetaca, alegorija i, dakako, gradske i državne heraldike, koje su se mijenjale na način da jedna vlast otuče insignije one prethodne.
U „sadržaje“ pjace spadaju i katedrala (ako je grad ujedno i biskupsko sjedište) ili župna crkva, gradska lođa, kićene fasade, kakav spomenik nacionalnih ili gradskih zaslužnika, a osobito su slikoviti oni konjanički. Dakako, tu je uvijek i kula sa satom, moguće i teatar, Dom kulture, hotel ili kakva kićena stara zgrada, šentade, žardinjere s ukrasnim cvijećem, ali i kafići i restorani s bogatim terasama. Ako svi nabrojeni sadržaji i nisu na pjaci, budite uvjereni da su vrlo blizu kao neizostavni inventar zajedništva i nadasve organizirane društvenosti.
Postoje i najdraže pjace
Kad je riječ o pjaci, nekako se uvijek podrazumijeva da govorimo o ljetnom vremenu na njoj, jer je u doba zimskih zastoja, osobito na moru, u pravilu sve nekako tužno i sjetno, pusto i neugodno. Premda se, ruku na srce, i u tim vlažnim danima u hrpi otpalog lišća može naći poezije. Uistinu, kad je pjaca u pitanju, vrijeme i prostor nekako uvijek nalaze zajednički jezik, imaju u sebi nešto svečano i uzvišeno, iako postoje, barem po imenu, kao relikti povijesne klasne podijeljenosti, i pjace za gospodštinu (firentinska i ina Piazza della Signoria) i za puk, narod (rimska i ina Piazza del Popolo). Meni je osobno najdraže sjesti na Piazzi Navona, nekad Domicijanov cirkus, u Rimu, s one tri fontane i onom pričom o Borrominijevom zvoniku koji samo što nije pao na Berninijeve skulpture. Na našim stranama, posebno mi je draga komornost pjace u Trogiru ili pak prostranost hvarskog trga, navećeg u Dalmaciji (današnju veličinu dobio je nasipavanjem dijela mandrača pred prvostolnicom).
Jedinstvenost Gundulićeve poljane
Pjace ne žive samo danju kad su pune ljudi i događanja, prolazaka i zastajanja, uzornih šetača i živopisnih faca svih fela („face s pjace“ najčešći je naslov izložaba life fotografija). I navečer one imaju svoju vidnu ulogu u intenzivnijem gradskom životu. One se tada na poseban način pretvaraju u šetnice, sastajališta, mjesta za ljubovanja i zadirkivačke majstorije na račun redikula ili pak viđenijih osoba, koje valja „okrenuti“, izvrgnuti podsmijehu, lakrdiji, ruglu. Sve je to zapravo jedan spontani teatar, a u toj sveopćoj teatralizaciji grada pjaca je i pozornica i gledalište. Uostalom, mnoge se pjace ljeti pretvaraju u festivalske pozornice, one ozbiljne i one zabavnjačke, osobito one u Dubrovniku i Splitu. Štoviše, možda je Gundulićeva poljana u Dubrovniku jedinstveni fenomen na svijetu: ujutro je zelena tržnica, tijekom dana je štekat okolnih restorana a navečer ljetna pozornica.
Svojstva pjaca ili trgova mogu popirimiti i neki slični prostori, mjesta pokazivanja i prikazivanja, oglasna mjesta naših mentaliteta. Što je 1,3 km dugačka La Rambla u Barceloni nego trg pun prodavaonica i uličnih zabavljača! Uostalom, i dubrovački Stradun je zapravo i trg i glavna ulica grada u bedemima. I mnoge rive nisu zapravo ništa drugo nego trgovi, nezaobilazna mjesta koje dnevno valja posjetiti, samo da se popije kava, nekoga pozdravi ili štogod kupi. I taj je trg okružen pročeljima, pri čemu je najzanimljivije ono „obzidano“ morem, povezano s cijelim svijetom iako ne umočiš prst u vodu.
Pjaca je Mediteran
Pjaca ima posvuda, ali ova o kojoj je riječ, prpošna i otvorena za sve što na nju naiđe, gdje su najčešće u dokolici glavni motori „meštri od svega i ničega“, ipak je poglavito mediteranski izum, privilegija intezivnijeg života, nešto što najbolje odgovara životu na otvorenom. To su motori života i izložbe naravi, puls većine i disanje mnoštva, pri čemu je vox populi s njih nekad imao snagu argumaneta, a nekad krvavih represalija. S nekih starih pjaca može se u duhu još čuti odjeke crkvenih prikazanja i umjetnost uličnih družina. No, valja znati da se gdjegod na njima sudovalo u mračnim procesima, spaljivalo vještice i heretike (čak i na splitskom Peristilu, a primjera ima bezbroj, spomenimo samo da je na rimskom trgu Campo dei Fiori zajedno s učenim knjigama spaljen leš našeg Rabljanina Markantuna de Dominisa čija se rehabilitacija još očekuje). I ti slučajevi pokazuju slojevitost života na pjacama, čija se važnost mjeri i po tome što je kava na njima skuplja, ali ne i ukusnija.
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Public square or Pjaca, Plokata, somewhere even Poljana, is the central part of the city, a place dedicated to the most significant city and municipal public events and activities, a place where everything that belongs to a city comes together. A square is actually a kind of a market for our natures.
Here, all our temporal and spatial distances are most visibly intertwined, which is best felt at noon, when the sun is at zenith, the clock hands cover each other, and the tower clock starts counting off time. At that moment, the bell starts ringing and, as if to the sound of a starter pistol, the pigeons, creatures that always peck something, mostly the light itself, fly up over the city. Noontime on a square and a square at noon reminds us of the divine categories – to be on a square at noon means to find oneself in the privileged role of the one who enjoys the privilege of living in a region familiar with both pleasure and restraint.
The unavoidable inventory of every square
Even if the most significant contents are not present on a square, they can definitely be felt, whether they are located in the near vicinity or dislocated for the benefit of the city. Ever since the times of the Greek Agora and the Roman Forum, the „inventory” of a square has definitely contained important political, religious, judicial, mercantile and other city buildings, elevated to the rank of cultural heritage, but my favourite is a well with relief scenes of saints, allegories and, of course, city and state heraldry changing in the manner that one government chisels off the insignia of the previous government.
The „contents“ of the square also include the cathedral (if the city is an Episcopal centre) or the parish church, the city hall, ornamented facades, some monument of national or city meritorious citizens and equestrian statues are especially picturesque. Of course, there is always a tower with a clock and perhaps even a theatre. A cultural centre, hotel or some ornamented old building, bench, jardiničres with flowers or cafés and restaurants with lavish terraces are unavoidable inventory of togetherness and above all organised sociability.
Favourite squares also exist
Whenever one speaks of a square it is always assumed that we speak of the square in the summertime, because during the winter standstills, especially on the coast, usually everything is somewhat sad and sorrowful and unpleasant. Although, honestly speaking, there is poetry even in these moist days, in piles of fallen leaves. Indeed, when one thinks of a square, time and space somehow always manage to find a common language, there is a festive and sublime quality to it, although, at least by their names and as relics of historical class division, there are squares for gentlemen (Piazza della Signoria in Florence and elsewhere) and for the people, the folk (Piazza del popolo in Rome and elsewhere). I enjoy sitting on the Piazza Navona in Rome the most, that was once a Domitian`s circus, with its three fountains and the story about Borromini`s bell-tower that almost fell on Bernini`s sculptures. In our region, I am very fond of the chamber-like character of the square in Trogir, or the spaciousness of the square in Hvar, the largest one in Dalmatia (present size is a result of spreading of the area in front of the cathedral).
The uniqueness of the Gundulić poljana
Squares are not alive only during day when they are filled with people and events, passing and stopping, with worthy walkers and colourful faces of all types („faces from the square” is the most frequently used title for exhibitions of life-photographs). In the evening, the squares have their visible role in the more intensive city life. In a special way, the squares then turn into promenades, meeting points, places for flirting and playing around with ridicules or more prominent individuals who have to be „turned around”, mocked at and exposed to ridicule. In fact, this is one spontaneous theatre and in this general theatricality of the city, a square is both the stage and the auditorium. In any case, many squares during the summer turn into festival stages, both serious and entertaining, especially the ones in Dubrovnik and Split. Moreover, perhaps the Gundulić poljana in Dubrovnik is a unique phenomenon in the world: during the mornings it is a vegetable market, during the day it is a sidewalk café of the nearby restaurants and in the evening it turns into a summer stage.
Some similar spaces, places for displaying or exhibiting, advertising space for our mentality, can assume the characteristics of piazzas or squares. What is the 1,3 km long La Rambla in Barcelona if not a square filled with shops and street entertainers! After all, Stradun in Dubrovnik is also a square and the main street of the city surrounded by walls. Of course, many town quays are nothing more but squares, unavoidable places that must be visited daily, even if it is only to have a cup of coffee, meet someone or buy something. Even such a square is surrounded by facades of which the most interested one is the front „enclosed“ by the sea and accordingly, without even dipping a finger in the water, connected with the entire world.
The square (piazza) is the Mediterranean
Squares (piazzas) are everywhere, but this one here is lively and open to everything that comes along and where, most often in spare time, the leading motors are „masters of everything and nothing“. Still, it is a Mediterranean invention, a privilege of a more intensive life, something that is best suited to life in the open space. These are the engines of life and exhibitions of character, the pulse of the majority and the breathing of the masses, where the vox populi once possessed the strength of an argument, and sometimes even caused bloody reprisals. On some old squares one can still hear, in spirit, the echoing of miracles and „followers” of street gangs. But it must be noted that the squares were sometimes used for administering justice in the dark court procedures, for burning witches and heretics (even on Peristil in Split, and there are numerous other examples. Let us just mention the Roman Campo dei fiori, where the body of our Markantun de Dominis from Rab was burnt, together with scholarly books, and whose rehabilitation is still awaited). These cases also indicate the multi-layered nature of the life on squares, whose importance is measured also by the fact that the price of coffee is higher there, even if it is not more delicious.
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