The Despić House, Sarajevo

The Despić House is one of the oldest surviving residential buildings in central Sarajevo, though you would never guess so from the ho-hum facade. This dependency of the Sarajevo Museum, the oldest part of which dates from the 17th century, was built in several stages at three different periods.

The house belonged to the wealthy Orthodox Christian Despić family, which donated the house to the City, along with another property now housing the Museum of Literature and the Performing Arts.  Inside, however, it's a house within a house, the original 1780 section retaining even the prison-style bars on stone window frames.

The house is noted as the venue for the city’s first theatre performances, so that it may be regarded as the precursor of modern theatre. With the opening of the Despić House, Sarajevo gained yet another museum property presenting the lifestyle of a wealthy merchant family.

The building is located at no. 2 Despićeva St.