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ABOUT KOTOR..............................................................................................
The formidable walls of the Kotor fortress are an excellent example of medieval fortification.They were gradually built up between the 9th and 19th centuries, to form a continuous belt around the old urban center and the sheer cliff of the Hill of St. John which stands over the town. The ring formed by the walls was completed and closed in the 13th and 14th centuries and after the invention of firearms new walls were constructed in front of the old ramparts. These new walls featured an inclined escarpment and the interstice was filled with stone and soil,or “terrapien”. The total length of the walls is around 4.5 kilometres, the breadth between 2 and 16 metres, and the height varying,but reaching 20 metres in places.Visitors can enter the old city center through one of three gates:the main, or Sea Gate, on the west side, which dates from 1555-in the past it was possible to reach this gate by boat (The sea gate was built in the renaissance style); the North Gate, dating from 1540 and reached by suspension bridge over the river Skurda; and the South gate, with three doors dating from the 13th, 17th, and 18th centuries and reached by bridge over the spring Gurdic.An endemic snail called “Clausilia Catharensis” resides inside the perimeter of the Kotor city walls. A walking path on top of the walls circles the old city center.It begins from the North Gate and the plaza on the bastion Bembo (from 1539) with the round tower Campana (16th century), through the gallery of the Prince’s ( Providur )Palace over to the Sea Gate.The path continues to the small bastions Valier and Corner (17th century ) to the round bastion Gurdic (17th century ) near the South Gate.
Besides the cathedral, in the heart of the town, there are magnificent examples of sacral architecture originating from XII till XX century. The Romanic church of St. Lucas was built during the reign of the great ruler Nemanja and his son Vukan in 1195.When it was built some churches from Greece and South Italy were its model.It had a dome with a cylindrical shape, placed on the cubical pedestal.Some fragments of frescos have been preserved from the period of its building.Later on, the chapel of St. Spiridon has been enlarged to a church.The church was remodeled after the earthquake in 1563. and 1667.Till the XVII century the church was Catholic and then it was given to the Orthodox to use it.The church is now renovated and it has the original appearance. The Romanic church of St. Ana dates from the end of the XII century and has frescos dating back from the XV century.The dome of the church collapsed in one of the earthquakes in the XVI or XVII century.The composition of the frescos in the facade dates from the XIV century and represents St. Hristifor,the protector of the travellers,with little Christ on his shoulder.The frescos in the interior of the church,dating back from the XV century,were done by a painter Lovro Dobricevic. The Romanic church of St. Mary dates from 1221.The church contains the remains of a monumental fresco painting as well as an early Christian baptistry.The chapel of St. Ivan was built in the XV century and the belfry dates from the end of the XVIII century. The Gothic church of St.Mihovil was built on the remains of the Benediction monastery from the VII century with frescos dating back from the XV century.
The church of Lady of health originates from the XV century.It is placed as part of the ramparts of the fortress.Its today’s appearance comes down from the XVII century. The Orthodox Church of St. Nicolas was built by the beginning of the XX century ( 1902./09.) with a valuable collection of icons.It was built at the place of the former church ( from 1545.),which was destroyed in the fire toward the end of the XIX century.The church was built in the Neobyzantium style with a base in the form of the cross and a monumental dome. There are also numerous palaces in the town. The Drago palace is the important building from the XV century .Its coats of arms are carved into portals,windows and capitals.The north wing was built in the style of the old Gothic( XV century ).The south one ( towards the Cathedral) was remodeled, towards the end of the XVII century, in the style of the Renaissance and Baroque,after the earthquake in the XVI and XVII century.The Bizanti palace dates from the XVII century.The comlex of the palace is placed round the internal yard.There is a well which has got a rich decorated crown with a coat of arms. The Pima palace is one of the most representative palaces in Kotor,with typical renaissance and baroque forms from the XIV century.It was built on the parts of the old Grubonja palace with the built-in emblem of the old Kotor pharmacy established in 1326. The Grgurina Palace dates from the XVIII century.It was built in the baroque style.Today it contains the Maritime Museum with one of the richest collections at the Adriatic coast. The clock tower was built during the reign of the Venice mayor Antonio Grimaldi.It is believed that there was the medieval pillory at that place.
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RDS RADIO KOTOR, 2007. All rights reserved design by TRICEN, Kotor |
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The old town of
Kotor is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in this part of
the Mediterranean.It was succeded in preserving its original form,so
typical of towns between the XII and the XIV century.The asymmetric
structure of the narrow streets and squares, combined with the
numerous valuable monuments of medieval architecture,contributed to
Kotor being placed on UNESCO’s “The world natural and cultural
inheritance” list.The cultural inheritance of this town is enriched
by the unique architectural styles and the ambient atmosphere.
The most
representative monument of Roman architecture in the Adriatic is the
magnificent Cathedral of St. Triphun, constructed in 1166 and built
on the remains of the former temple from the IX century.There are
the remains of the frescos from the XIV century and the valuable
treasury with domestic and Venetian golden works dating from the XIV
to the XX century.The old romanic basilica had a flat porch, dome
and a four-story romanic belfry.During eight centuries of its
existence, the church had undergone four big changes in regard to
authentic appearance ( about 1362 / 1537 / 1563 / 1583 – 1613 / 1667
). Two belfries ( 33 and 35 metres high ) are leaned against the
west facade.They got their today’s appearance after the earthquake
in 1667, when the cathedral had undergone great damages.Because of
that their today’s style makes an impression of baroque , while
three flats instead of four ( four flats were present earlier
),makes an impression of romanic style.Because of the former
difficult economic occasions of Kotor, the north (left) belfry has
remained incomplete.The cathedral owns the worth examples of
artistic works ( IX-XVIII century ).
St. Clara church
dates from the XIV century with the extremely beautiful marble
altar, the work of Francesco Cabianca, from the XVIII century.The
monastery has got a library with the rich holdings of manuscripts
and old books.
