Exploring the Sights and Stories of Kotor, Montenegro

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[{"address":"Sea Gate","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.1462904494578615,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42475162311803,"longitude":18.769722055567556},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Sea Gate,1555"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FIMG_0034.jpg?alt=media&token=8dd3e73e-fb9f-44cc-bb9e-96ee5f5148b7"},{"type":"text","content":"The Sea Gate is the main entrance into Kotor's old town. This Renaissance-Baroque-style gate was built in 1555 by the Venetians, who ruled Kotor from\n1420 to 1797. There’s an even older gate, from the 13th – 14th century, buried\nunder this one, which was probably destroyed in a 1537 earthquake."},{"type":"text","content":"Originally, this gate was also decorated with the Venetian winged lion above\nthe arch of the gate. In 1897 the Austrians also added a plate that included an\nAustrian coat of arms. Both the Venetian and Austrian reliefs were almost\ndestroyed by mobs during Kotor’s liberation after World War I, but after the\ntown was liberated from Italian forces at the end of World War II a group of\ncitizens took to both of them with hammers and they were destroyed."},{"type":"text","content":"Now, where the Venetian winged lion was, the date 21-XI-1944\ncommemorates the date Kotor was liberated from Nazi occupation. And\nwhere the Austrian coat of arms was, a Yugoslav coat of arms and quote by\nYugoslav President, Josip Broz Tito, was added. It says ‘Tuđe nećemo, svoje\nne damo’ – ‘What belongs to others we don’t want, what is ours we will never\nsurrender’.\nStanding in front of the gate, look to the fortress wall on your right. There, you’ll\nsee a large stone relief with a winged lion holding an open book. The book\nsays ‘PAX TIBI MARCE EVANGELISTA MEVS’ – ‘Peace be upon you, Mark, my\nEvangelist’. This is the Lion of St Mark and is one of the symbols of the\nVenetian Republic. If you can’t see this relief it could be obscured by a tree"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FKotor-Lion-of-Saint-Mark.jpg?alt=media&token=67bc336a-e6e2-42b2-afb5-ea359801ec53"},{"type":"text","content":"From inside the gate, you can appreciate how thick Kotor’s walls are. Halfway through the gate, there is a 15th-century stone relief that shows the Virgin Mary with Christ. On her right is Saint Tryphon, the patron saint of Kotor, and to her\nleft is Saint Bernard."},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FIMG_4180.1.jpg?alt=media&token=757be502-76e3-42eb-ad4b-9d2ef880cb7c"},{"type":"text","content":"About a meter to the right of the relief, you’ll see a small stone carving of a dragon.\nThis stone was probably repurposed from Drago Palace which was also severely damaged by earthquakes. Most tourists and even locals never spot this beautiful little carving!"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FKotor-old-town-sea-gate-dragon.jpg?alt=media&token=c22f9946-0a99-4eea-b81b-9771f8f0c722"}]},{"address":"The Obelisk","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.1462904494578615,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42483473654045,"longitude":18.769908926544367},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Town Clock Tower and Pillory, 1602"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FIMG_4373.jpg?alt=media&token=0645ff79-0437-4258-8a9b-658e43658a55"},{"type":"text","content":"Kotor’s clock tower sits opposite the Sea Gate and is one of the first things you’ll see as you enter the town through this gate.\nStarted in 1602, when Kotor was under\nVenetian rule, the clock tower was still\nincomplete when a large earthquake hit Kotor is 1667. After the earthquake, the tower leaned toward the sea. Another large earthquake in 1979 made the clock tower lean even further and now it leans off-center by some 20cm (around 8 inches)."},{"type":"text","content":"\nThe tower was built in the mature Baroque style and has an open bell tower at the top. Under the clock face on the west (sea-facing) side, there are decorative coats of arms and plaques of stone. The Venetian winged lion\nholding an open book has been left intact, but the coats of arms were removed because the Venetian Republic didn’t approve of the glorification of its public officials."},{"type":"text","content":"\nAlthough the tower was started in 1602, it wasn’t until the French occupation of Kotor (from 1807 – 1814) that the clock mechanism was finished and in working order."},{"type":"text","content":"\nIn front of the clock tower, you’ll see the town pillory. Criminals would be\nput inside the pillory so their faces were visible through the holes."},{"type":"text","content":"\nTownsfolk walking past could then spit on them through the holes… gross!\nUnfortunately, the original pillory was destroyed by a mob in 1945, so the\none you see today is a reconstruction of the original."}]},{"address":"Палата Бескућа","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.1462904494578615,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42457972510115,"longitude":18.77021373115328},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Beskuća Palace, 1776"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FIMG_4037.jpg?alt=media&token=b830c158-2039-4d56-a700-8c66493abf04"},{"type":"text","content":"The Beskuća story is one of the most interesting in Kotor.\nBeskuća in the local language means ‘homeless’. This palace belonged to the\nBeskuća family, who arrived penniless in Kotor, but amassed a fortune through\nshipping. By the 18th century, the family was so powerful it was admitted to the\nnobility. It’s said the family’s patriarch, Count Jozo Beskuća, wanted to own 100\nhouses so that he could change the family’s name to Stokuća – Hundredhomes. Unfortunately, he wasn’t successful and the family name stayed Beskuća."},{"type":"text","content":"\nThe four-story palace was built in the mid-18th century and was very simple. The most artistically valuable part of the building is the 15th-century Gothic entrance with its beautiful coat of arms. Interestingly, this coat of arms doesn’t belong to the Beskuća family, but to the Bizanti family, which owned the palace opposite this one. The Beskuća emblem was a snake and a tree with the words ‘Si dues com nobis, quis contra nos’ (If God is with us, who can be against us?). No one is sure why the Bizanti coat of arms is at the entrance of Beskuća palace."}]},{"address":"CQFC+P7F","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.1462904494578615,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42432680748807,"longitude":18.770665667945508},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Pima Palace, 17th century"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FKotor-Montenegro-Pima-Palace.jpg?alt=media&token=c9135feb-39cb-4037-b55f-91238c55bf0d"},{"type":"text","content":"Pima Palace is one of the most regal and beautiful palaces in Kotor. It was built by the Pima family, who were among Kotor’s nobility between the 14th and 18th centuries. There were several renowned Pimas, including poets and a professor, but the family died out in the 18th century."},{"type":"text","content":"\nThe palace was built in the 17th century after the 1667 earthquake that badly\ndamaged many of Kotor’s buildings. It has Baroque features, like the consoles\nwhich support the second-floor balcony and the ornate window frames. There\nare also Renaissance details, like the interior courtyard and the coat of arms\nwith angels above the main entrance. The second floor has a large balcony\nwith a wrought iron fence made by Kotor’s renowned blacksmiths."},{"type":"text","content":"Today Pima Palace is home to the Gallery of Solidarity. The art on display is relatively modern, coming mostly from Yugoslav artists during the 1970’s with exhibitions by local artists and photographers.\nHours: 9am to 2pm and 5pm to 9pm daily\nEntrance: Free"}]},{"address":"Museum of Cathedral of Saint Tryphon","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.1462904494578615,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42418455514062,"longitude":18.77139657931162},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Saint Tryphon’s Cathedral, 1166"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FSt-Tryphon-Cathedral-Kotor-Montenegro-2.jpg?alt=media&token=5253ab7e-fcf4-4100-b840-36b2fcfc92e3"},{"type":"text","content":"Saint Tryphon was a healer who was beheaded in Turkey in 250 A.D. during the Decian persecution. Centuries later, his head was on its way from Constantinople (today’s Istanbul) to Dubrovnik through Kotor. A storm meant the ship taking it couldn’t sail and this was taken as a sign his relics were supposed to stay in Kotor. So it stayed here and Saint Tryphon became Kotor’s patron saint, revered by both Catholic and Orthodox faiths."},{"type":"text","content":"Saint Tryphon’s Cathedral was built on the site of an older church, which was\nconsecrated in 809. Excavations around today’s cathedral show the original\nchurch was probably in the shape of a Greek Cross, possibly with a dome in the\nmiddle. In 1124 Kotor’s town council approved funds to build a new cathedral, and the three altars of the current cathedral were consecrated on 19th June 1166."},{"type":"text","content":"This cathedral is a three-aisled basilica with four-floor belfries, connected by a\nterrace. The building’s architecture shows the southern Italian style that was influential throughout the Nemanjić Dynasty at the time, but the original cathedral has been changed several times over the centuries, mainly due to earthquake damage. The bell towers were ruined in the 1667 earthquake and were rebuilt.\nBut, due to economic hardship at the time, the left bell tower was never finished and it’s still two meters shorter than the right one."},{"type":"text","content":"Adjoining the cathedral is a treasury that was built in 1652. The treasury was the work of Italian Baroque sculptor, Francesco Cabianca. Saint Tryphon’s Cathedral is one of the best places to see art by Kotor’s ancient master goldsmiths and artists who were known throughout the Mediterranean.\nYou can go upstairs to see the cathedral’s treasury and walk out onto the terrace for views of Saint Tryphon’s Square.\n"},{"type":"text","content":"What to see in Saint Tryphon’s Cathedral and treasury:"},{"type":"text","content":"- The unique stone ciborium over the main altar was added to the cathedral in 1362. The masterpiece was made in the Romanesque-Gothic style from red stone from Đurići, in the Bay of Kotor, and sits above the main altar. The frieze of the ciborium depicts scenes from Saint Tryphon’s life in bas-relief."},{"type":"text","content":"- The wooden crucifix which was a gift from Queen Jelena Kurtnejska, wife of Uroš I\nNjemanić, to Kotor’s St Francis monastery in 1288\nSaint Tryphon’s relics"},{"type":"text","content":"- The sarcophagus of Andrea Saracenis, who is the assumed founder of the\nchurch"},{"type":"text","content":"- Entrance: €2.50 per person"}]},{"address":"85330 Ulica 2 (sjever-jug)","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.1462904494578615,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42332220348564,"longitude":18.771588730132436},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Venetian Military Hospital, 1769"},{"type":"text","content":"The Venetian military hospital was built in 1769 after an attempt to defeat Montenegro’s ruler, Šćepan Mali, above Budva. At the time, the Bay of Kotor was part of the Venetian Republic, separate from the rest of today’s Montenegro. The armies met again in Kotor the following year, where the Montenegrins were victorious. In addition to 500 wounded and 350 dead soldiers, the Venetians also had to surrender all their weapons, four cannons and pay 10,000 gold coins."},{"type":"text","content":"The most interesting part of this story is that the battles were fought against Šćepan Mali (Stephen the Little), who ruled Montenegro from 1767 to 1773. Šćepan was a homeopathic doctor living in a monastery near Budva when rumours started spreading that Tsar Peter III of Russia hadn’t actually been murdered by his wife, Catherine the Great, four years earlier, but had escaped and was in Montenegro living under the assumed name Šćepan. "},{"type":"text","content":"Šćepan seized the opportunity and claimed he was Peter III. He managed to convince enough leaders and came to rule Montenegro. Šćepan was a ruthless leader, but incredibly, he managed to unify the warring tribes of Montenegro, build roads, start a census and even established a court to stop the endless blood feuds that went on between Montenegrin tribes."},{"type":"text","content":"Happy to have a unified Montenegro to fight against the Ottoman Turks and\nVenetians, Russia supported Šćepan financially even though they knew he\nwas a fraud. In 1772 they even awarded him the rank of Lieutenant-General\nof the Russian Imperial Army and the Medal of the Order of Saint Vladimir."},{"type":"text","content":"After this success things took a turn for the worse for Šćepan. He was\nassassinated by his barber, who was blackmailed by the Turkish Pasha, and\nMontenegro descended back into chaos."},{"type":"text","content":"The hospital is a very plain building, and the only ornamentation is the\nBaroque entrance and an inscription that says the hospital was built by\norder of the Venetian Senate for the use of soldiers, by the extraordinary\nprovost of Epirus, Giovanni Giusto in 1769."},{"type":"text","content":"It was damaged in the earthquake of 1979 and during restoration works\nbuilders found remains of a 14th-century church, an early Christian\nsarcophagus and some Roman tombstones."},{"type":"text","content":"Today, the former hospital is Kotor’s cultural center and town theatre."}]},{"address":"Gurdić Gate","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.1462904494578615,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42216486451198,"longitude":18.771332849999993},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Gurdić Gate"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FIMG_0049.jpg?alt=media&token=a944f4f4-8ece-4912-9d83-c148d14a4ff0"},{"type":"text","content":"The Gurdić Gate by Gurdić Spring is also called the south gate and it’s actually a set of three gates."},{"type":"text","content":"The outer gate was built in the 18th century by the Venetians and it has two massive pillars with slots that held iron wheels for the chains which lifted and lowered the drawbridge over the spring. Although it’s no longer a drawbridge, you can still see part of the old mechanism just inside the gate."},{"type":"text","content":"The middle gate was built in the 12th and 13th centuries in typical Romanesque architecture of the time. "},{"type":"text","content":"The inner gate was built in the 16th century and was built in the style of Venetian architect, Michele Sammichelli, who designed many of the Venetian fortresses in the Adriatic."}]},{"address":"Grubonja Palace","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.1462904494578615,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42603851451394,"longitude":18.77211570000002},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Grubonja Palace, end of 16th century"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FVenetian%20Arch.jpg?alt=media&token=041f4196-2881-4dc4-aa16-b2991a3027ca"},{"type":"text","content":"Grubonja Palace sits alongside the street that leads to the Kotor fortress walk and supports one side of the unmistakable Venetian arch over that street. The arch has a stone relief with the Venetian winged lion, the year it was built, and ‘munitae rupis’ – meaning food depots – which were kept in this part of Kotor.\n"},{"type":"text","content":"The Grubonja family most likely came to Kotor from Zadar sometime in the 15th century and the palace was built at the end of the 16th century in the Renaissance style.\n"},{"type":"text","content":"Look up and you’ll see two stone reliefs on the façade, between the two first-floor windows. One is the Gothic monogram of Jesus Christ. The other looks quite ominous, with crossed bones, a skull with snakes coming out of its eyes, a mouse, a turtle, and a lizard. This emblem is the ancient marker of the town apothecary or pharmacy. Kotor’s apothecary was first mentioned in 1326, making it one of the oldest in Europe.\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FGrubonja%20Palace.jpg?alt=media&token=dd9ef8d8-651a-4e8c-95d3-ca188a5d3f42"},{"type":"text","content":"At the time, Kotor had four medical professionals: a physician, a dentist, a\nsurgeon, and a pharmacist, who were elected by the council. They mostly came from Italy, but often married local women and stayed in Kotor."}]},{"address":"River Gate (North Gate)","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.1462904494578615,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.4262578677208,"longitude":18.772180267803922},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# River Gate, 1540"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FRiver%20Gate.jpg?alt=media&token=76ea67d5-112f-4d46-9f34-63a1bb052504"},{"type":"text","content":"The River Gate (North Gate) was built in 1540 in memory of the attack in 1539\nled by Hayreddin Barbarossa, a Turkish Ottoman Empire admiral who was\nresponsible for much of the empire’s domination of the Mediterranean.\nThe Renaissance-style gate has a tympanum (triangular shape above the gate) with a relief of a fortress and the Venetian winged Lion of Saint Mark.\n"},{"type":"text","content":"Below that are three now-erased coats of arms and the initials of the Venetian\nrulers in 1540: Antonio Gritti (AG), the doge (elected lord in Italian city-states);\nPrince Gian Mateo Bembo (MB) and commander in chief of the Venetian fleet, Gerolamo Loredan (GL).\n"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FSkurda%20River.jpg?alt=media&token=76aa3b93-543a-4a9a-83ec-7b6b81a4bb46"},{"type":"text","content":"The gate and north side of the town were protected by the Škurda River, which flows along the north walls of Kotor. Originally, part of the bridge over the Škurda River was a drawbridge that could be raised and lowered by sentries.\nThis is the gate people from the interior would use to come into Kotor on\nmarket day. They would bring their produce, like smoked ham and cheese, to sell at the Montenegrin Market and the sentries at the gate were tasked with taking their weapons as they came through the gate."}]},{"address":"Church of St. Mary Collegiate","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.13092380560724579,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42592641451389,"longitude":18.771954800000014},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Saint Mary’s Church, 1221"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FSt%20Marys%20Church.jpg?alt=media&token=db9de960-e3de-4702-8fb6-eb9e66264907"},{"type":"text","content":"Saint Mary’s Church is a 13th-century church built on the remains of a 6th-century Christian church. The older church had a pool for baptizing adults, which suggests it was the bishop’s seat and therefore most important church in Kotor."},{"type":"text","content":"The current church was consecrated in 1221 and was built with alternating rows of delicate pink and grey stone. The chapel of Saint John (Sveti Ivan) was added in the 15th century, and the bell tower was added in the 18th century. The fresco fragments inside the church date to the 14th century."},{"type":"text","content":"The most notable and valuable piece of the church is the bronze bas-relief door. It depicts the life of Blessed Osanna of Cattaro and was made by artist, Vasko Lipovac. Saint Mary’s church is also known as Saint Mary Collegiate and the Blessed Osanna, after Osanna of Cattaro."},{"type":"text","content":"Osanna of Cattaro (1493-1565) was born Jovana Kosić. She was an Orthodox shepherdess who, at age 14, came to Kotor, which was called Cattaro and part of the Republic of Venice at the time and worked for the wealthy Buća family. In Kotor, she converted to Roman Catholicism and changed her name to Katarina."},{"type":"text","content":"In her late teens, she felt called to become an anchorite, a religious hermit who is permanently sealed in a cell attached to a church. Small windows in the cell allowed for food deliveries, waste removal, and visitors, but otherwise, anchorites spent their time in contemplation, prayer, and giving advice to followers. The choice to become an anchorite was irreversible and if one tried to escape they were forcibly returned and their soul damned to Hell."},{"type":"text","content":"Katarina became an anchorite but her first cell was destroyed in an earthquake.\nShe moved to a cell at Saint Paul’s church, where she stayed for the remaining\n52 years of her life, and took the name Osanna."},{"type":"text","content":"She’s credited with saving Kotor from the plague and an attack by the feared\nOttoman admiral, Hayreddin Barbarossa, in 1539. During the fierce attack, the\nlocals appealed to her for help and she took the radical step of leaving her cell."},{"type":"text","content":"Osanna climbed onto the northern ramparts, where her appearance inspired\nlocal forces to repel the invaders and the Ottomans were forced to retreat.\nOsanna was also known for advocating peace between feuding families and\nbecame known as ‘The Virgin Reconciler’ and the ‘Angel of Peace’. She was\nformally beatified by Pope Pius XI in 1934."},{"type":"text","content":"What to see in Saint Mary’s Church:"},{"type":"text","content":"- Bronze bas-relief door by Vasko\nLipovac"},{"type":"text","content":"- 14th-century frescoes"},{"type":"text","content":"- Silver and glass sarcophagus\nwhich contains Blessed Osanna’s\nremains"}]},{"address":"Cat Park","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.13092380560724579,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.426024714513986,"longitude":18.77203930000001},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Kotor’s Cats"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FIMG_0482(Edited).jpg?alt=media&token=82be5a3a-d033-4a1b-84cc-00675d83aa1b"},{"type":"text","content":"Saint Mary’s sits in Wood Square, which is\nhome to many of Kotor’s cats. Cats used to\nhelp control rodents and snakes in Kotor and\nthey’ve become a symbol of the town. Lots of\nshops sell cat-themed souvenirs, but instead\nof taking home a cat-themed trinket I\nrecommend making a donation to Kotor Kitties\n(kotorkitties.org), a US and UK-registered nonprofit that pays for the sterilization and\nvaccination of Kotor’s street cats.\n"},{"type":"text","content":"If you do want a cat-themed souvenir to take\nhome, you can find hand-made gifts and\nsouvenirs at Kotor’s Cats, which is in the\nalley opposite Saint Anne’s Church (#26 on\nthe map, 42.425220, 18.772002). Danijela,\nthe owner, feeds, sterilizes and cares for a\nhuge number of cats and kittens in Kotor old\ntown and you can rest assured shopping there\nwill help Kotor’s furry mascots!"}]},{"address":"The church of Sveti Luka (St. Luke)","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.13092380560724579,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42550921451367,"longitude":18.771151099999983},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Saint Luke’s Church, 1195"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FSt%20Lukes%20Church.jpg?alt=media&token=f037ea96-1386-4a21-8111-83a4d53bd598"},{"type":"text","content":"Next to Saint Tryphon’s and Saint Nicholas’, Saint Luke’s (Sveti Luka) is a relatively\nunimposing building, but it’s one of the most important in Kotor."},{"type":"text","content":"The church was built in 1195 and inside you’ll be able to see some of the original\nfrescoes from the time it was built. The church was built in the southern Italian\nstyle, with a characteristic dome shape that showed the popularity of southern\nItalian church architecture throughout the Nemanjić territory."},{"type":"text","content":"Incredibly, it was the only building in Kotor which wasn’t significantly damaged in\nthe 1979 earthquake that brought down buildings from Dubrovnik to Bar, on\nMontenegro’s south coast."},{"type":"text","content":"Originally Saint Luke’s was a Catholic church, but became Orthodox in 1657, when\nit was given to Kotor’s Orthodox citizens, particularly those who had fled the\nOttoman Turk invasion in Grbalj (the flat plain between Tivat and Budva) the year\nbefore. It still kept a Catholic altar until 1812 and both Catholic and Orthodox\nmasses were performed here. Bokelji (Bay of Kotor residents) still hold Saint Luke’s\ndear as an example of the bay’s traditional religious freedom and tolerance.\n\nWhat to see in Saint Luke’s Church:"},{"type":"text","content":"- Large crucifix made in 1710"},{"type":"text","content":"- Iconostasis in Saint Spyridon Chapel by\nDaskal Dimitrije, whose family founded\nthe Dimitrijević-Rafailović icon-painting\nschool"},{"type":"text","content":"- Single fragment of original 12th century\nfresco showing the bottom halves of\nthree saints"},{"type":"text","content":"- The floor of the church is made of\npanels which cover the tombs of Kotor\ncitizens who were buried here until the\n1830s, when the practice was outlawed\nby the Austrian authorities\r\r"}]},{"address":"Saint Nicholas’ Church","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.13092380560724579,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.425753014513816,"longitude":18.770880000000012},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Saint Nicholas’ Church-1909"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FSt%20Nicholas%20Church%201.jpg?alt=media&token=43e49bab-c706-43bf-9498-af2e21333ba6"},{"type":"text","content":"Saint Nicholas’ Church (Sveti Nikola) is a Serbian Orthodox church that dominates\nSaint Luke’s Square (Trg Svetog Luka). You’ll recognize it by the twin domed\ntowers and the flag that hangs down the center. It’s a relatively new building,\ncompleted in 1909 after a fire ruined the original church that was built in 1810. It\nwas built in the pseudo-Byzantine style and is a one-transept church with two\nbelfries.\r"},{"type":"text","content":"The Serbian Orthodox Church archive next to the church houses a number of\nicons, documents, artworks and ecclesiastical uniforms. There were more\nvaluables dedicated to Saint Nicholas in Kotor, but they were almost all lost in the\nfire or were pillaged by the start of the 20th century."},{"type":"text","content":"What to see in Saint Nicholas’ Church:"},{"type":"text","content":"- Icons from the 15th to 19th centuries"},{"type":"text","content":"- Portraits of Mark, Luke, Matthew and John near the entrance.\nThese were gifts from the Russian Orthodox Church"},{"type":"text","content":"- Mosaic of Saint Nicholas above the entrance door by Czech\nartist František Ziegler\r"}]},{"address":"Pjaceta Karampana","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.13092380560724579,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42509241637777,"longitude":18.771138055540032},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Karampana Fountain, 17th century\r"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FKarampana%20Fountain.jpg?alt=media&token=27c99257-a327-4fab-bf6f-db53580bfa76"},{"type":"text","content":"Kotor’s Škurda River on one side and Gurdić\nSpring on the other provided the town’s\ncitizens with ample fresh water. Noble\nhouses had their own wells and you’ll see\nquite a few as you walk around. Yes, the\nwater is clean so go ahead and fill your drink\nbottle as you explore the town!\r"},{"type":"text","content":"At one time Karampana Fountain was the only\npublic well in Kotor and it was where people,\nespecially the women of the town who\nworked as laundresses or water carriers,\nwould gather to get water and the latest\ngossip. It was used until 1917, when the\nAustrians brought modern plumbing to Kotor,\nand then reconnected in 1958.\r"},{"type":"text","content":"No one knows exactly how Karampana\nFountain got its name, but there are a couple\nof theories. The first is that the name comes\nfrom a word meaning something that’s old\nand doesn’t work very well. The other theory\nis a bit more sordid…\r"},{"type":"text","content":"In 14th-century Venice, there was a brothel in a derelict palace that used to\nbelong to the Rampani family. It was known as Ca’Rampani and the word was\nused to refer to brothels in general. Some people believe this is where you\ncould ‘buy love’ in medieval Kotor. There’s no confirmation that the\nCa’Rampani brand spread to Kotor, but stranger things have happened!"}]},{"address":"Maritime Museum","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.13092380560724579,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42502621451343,"longitude":18.771265099999983},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Grgurina Palace\nMaritime Museum, 1732"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FMaritime%20Museum.jpg?alt=media&token=1a857f16-7845-4d64-9f02-a9677a5a0d93"},{"type":"text","content":"The Grgurina family came to Kotor from Kopar in Croatia in the 17th century and\nCount Marko Grgurina built Grgurina Palace in 1732. The count was a successful\nmerchant and was credited for bringing Francesco Cabianca, the Venetian\nsculptor who made many of Kotor’s ornate marble altars including the ciborium in\nSaint Tryphon’s Cathedral, to Kotor.\r"},{"type":"text","content":"The palace is a classic Baroque palace with a grand entrance, stone balconies\n, and a symmetrical frontage. On the terrace there’s a Grgurina coat of arms with\na goat, which is the symbol of Kopar, and on the inside the palace has wooden\nceilings and the floor is made of red and white checkerboard tiles."},{"type":"text","content":"In 1813 Bishop Marko Grgurina bequeathed the palace to the government. It\nserved as offices for various government bodies, but was turned into the Kotor\nMaritime Museum after the end of World War II."},{"type":"text","content":"Kotor gained its wealth and power as a trading port that connected the Serbian\nNemanjić Dynasty with the rest of Europe and its history and culture are\ninextricably intertwined with the sea. The maritime museum’s three floors are filled\nwith beautiful examples of the area’s history including clothing, weapons, and\nfurniture. The entrance includes an audio guide and you can easily spend an hour here\nadmiring traditional dress, artwork, and artifacts from the bay.\r\r\r"}]},{"address":"Square of the Arms","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.13092380560724579,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.425134514513495,"longitude":18.769757999999985},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Weapons Square"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FIMG_3961.jpg?alt=media&token=c4318eb6-8693-4de5-96b9-c22804de9c4e"},{"type":"text","content":"This is Weapons Square and was the base of the military in Kotor. The long\nbuilding along the fortress wall is called the Duke’s (or Prince’s) Palace because\nit was where Kotor’s Venice-appointed prince lived after the original palace on\nSt Tryphon’s Square was destroyed in the 1667 earthquake. But it mainly served\nas barracks from 1763 onwards. There was a prison cell and guard station on the\nground floor, and the upper floors were made up of bunk rooms and kitchens.\r"},{"type":"text","content":"By the Sea Gate, there was a guard tower, and at the other end there was a\nfood depot in the building that’s now Hotel Cattaro. This building is also known\nas the French Theatre because in 1810, und Napoleonic rule, it was one of\nMontenegro’s first theatres. The theatre hosted plays and operas until the\n1890s, when it fell into disrepair and was closed.\r"}]},{"address":"Kampana Tower","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.13092380560724579,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.42567531451376,"longitude":18.768942699999993},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Kampana Tower"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FKampana%20Tower.jpg?alt=media&token=a500c831-7a5f-4801-b910-fafbace544e2"},{"type":"text","content":"This is Kampana Tower and from here soldiers could monitor\naccess to Kotor from the sea.\r"},{"type":"text","content":"From here you can walk along the fortress walls; you’ll get\nsome nice views of the fortress walls up Mount Saint John as\nyou walk along the wall that borders the Škurda River."}]},{"address":"Letrika Caffe Bar","location":{"longitudeDelta":0.13092380560724579,"latitudeDelta":0.09219986310369421,"latitude":42.4252006145135,"longitude":18.771533100000013},"media":[{"type":"text","content":"# Letrika Caffe Bar"},{"type":"img","content":"https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/freeguides-prod.appspot.com/o/assets%2Ftours%2F8rVJ8ctmft4Kg39QMd3K%2FCharcoal%20CoffeeJPG.jpg?alt=media&token=7b0c3d7d-8fca-4b07-910d-80441677eacf"},{"type":"text","content":"Now that you've finished seeing the sights in Kotor, this is a great place to grab a drink. Order a coffee,\ncold pivo (beer), or a traditional rakija (the Balkans’ beloved\nbrandy). But be warned, rakija is very strong!"},{"type":"text","content":"My recommendation is to try Letrika’s charcoal coffee. Visit any Montenegrin\nhome and you’ll be served kuvana kafa, cooked coffee. At\nLetrika you can try kuvana kafa with the added twist of a lump\nof red hot charcoal to put in it. The charcoal purifies your\ncoffee and this is the only place in the world you can try this\nspecialty!\r"}]}]