Collection of Documents numbering 679 original manuscript and printed documents. In terms of content, they are very various, covering the period from the 16^th to the 20^th century. The core of the collection consists of original written records from the second half of the 18^th century, that is, from the time of the Dubrovnik Republic, as well as records from the 19^th century. All the documents from the period are written in Italian, the official language of seafaring throughout the Mediterranean. The collection includes ships’ logs, captain’s patents on parchment, documents related with the activities of the consulates, seamen’s cards or booklets, passports, bills of health, bills of lading, Turkish firmans, masters’ certificates, nautical reference books or manuals, ships administration papers, crew lists and other documents of various kinds of content. The oldest documents derive from the 16^th century. They are: the bill of lading from the sailing ship Santo Jozepo of 1543; a letter of the French king, Henri II (1517–1559) extending his protection to Dubrovnik sailors and merchants of 1557, and the covers of a scrivener’s log of the Dubrovnik ship Santo Spirito captained by Tomo Sagroević of 1580.

The diverse ship’s documentation exhibited in the permanent display gives an insight into the development of Dubrovnik shipping during the time of the Dubrovnik Republic, and also after its fall in 1808.