The Coat of Arms of the Dubrovnik Republic has gone through several appearance changes over time. A definite turning point in Dubrovnik’s heraldic history took place in 1358, when the Venetians, after suffering a defeat, gave up Dubrovnik, among all, as part of the Treaty of Zadar concluded with the Hungarian-Croatian king Louis the Great.
Afterwards, the people of Dubrovnik concluded new treaty with their new sovereign, acquiring the protection of the Hungarian-Croatian ruling Arpadović dynasty and receiving the confirmation of all attributes of statehood of the Republic of Dubrovnik. What a great diplomatic move it was of the small commune that became a republic, forever free from the Venetian domination!
Furthermore, according to the treaty, the people of Dubrovnik had to use the coat of arms of the Arpadović dynasty, with 8 red and silver bars on the shield. However, they usually used it in a somewhat modified form, reversing the original layout and starting with a silver bar instead of a red one.