Liberty can not be sold for all the gold of the world
Old City of Dubrovnik
The ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’, situated on the Dalmatian coast, became an important Mediterranean sea power from the 13th century onwards. Although severely damaged by an earthquake in 1667, Dubrovnik managed to preserve its beautiful Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque churches, monasteries, palaces and fountains. Damaged again in the 1990s by armed conflict, it is now the focus of a major restoration programme co-ordinated by UNESCO.
The government of the Republic was liberal in character and early showed its concern for justice and humanitarian principles. The Republic’s flag had the word Libertas (freedom) on it, and the entrance to the Saint Lawrence fortress (Lovrijenac) just outside the Ragusa city walls bears the inscription Non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro (Liberty can not be sold for all the gold of the world). Well ahead of its time, the Republic imposed restrictions on the slave trade in 1416.
(Source: Republic of Ragusa—Wiki, Forced Adventure—Dubrovnik Guided Tour in 30 min.)