If Jerko comes back...

Boka Kotor, beautiful and miraculous.

I stop by a beautiful abandoned villa in Dobrota, a guy from the neighborhood comes by. "Excuse me, are you from here?" I ask him. "I'm not, but ask what you're interested in!" I'm interested in why such a palace is deserted. "Have you heard of Milo Đukanović?" Laughter. "And do you know that he has a brother, Ace?" Laughter again. "It is rumored that it is his, it used to be a hotel, some Macedonian resort... Supposedly, there will be a large hotel complex there." He bought the whole lot from the highway to the sea!"

photo: Robert Choban

DOBROTA

In 1833, Count Josif (Jozo) Ivanović hosted the then 20-year-old ruler of neighboring Montenegro, Petar the Second Petrović Njegoš, with an entourage of 30 people, in his palace, before his journey by sailing ship to Petrograd. After that visit, Njegoš wrote a famous poem The Serb thanks the Serbs for the honor. During the time of the SFRY, part of the current property of Aco Đukanović (a villa and a plot of 2246 square meters) belonged to the Skopje Fair Association, which sold it to the Belgrade pharmaceutical company Medifarm in 1992, and this AD to Galenica Beograd. Aco Đukanović bought the plot and the house from the offshore company Coast products ltd in 2007 for 2.793.000 euros.

In Dobrota, I come across several more abandoned churches, palaces and houses in great locations... I drive on, in the beautiful Church of St. Eustachio, where Don Branko Sbutega once served, an incredible mixture of baroque and contemporary art. The previous evening in Kotor, we stumbled upon a classical music concert in one of the small squares in the old town. "Don Branko's Days of Music" dedicated to Don Branko Sbutega, the legendary pastor from Dobrota. He was born in a religiously mixed family, from a Catholic father and an Orthodox mother. He finished elementary school and high school in his hometown. In parallel with high school, he also completed music school (he played cello, piano and organ). He studied medicine in Belgrade and theology in Zagreb, Vienna and Rome. He was ordained a priest in 1979 in the Church of Our Lady of Škrpjela near Perast. He became the pastor of the church in Dobrota in 1982, died in 2006, and was buried in the gate of the church where he served for 24 years.

The Blue Kotor Bay Hotel where we are staying has bicycles for rent, so I was able to explore the beauties of Boka Kotor in my favorite way. Before continuing the reportage, here are some useful tips and comparisons with driving a Bajs in Istria and Vojvodina. In the part that I visited (44 km), there are almost no bicycle paths at all, except for one small part in Dobrota. The drive is pleasant on the narrow road from Lepetan to Kotor, slightly less pleasant from Kotor via Dobrota and Perast to the part where the main road from Nikšić joins between Lipik and Morinje. This is where the real traffic hell begins, even around noon when there are usually no big crowds. You need to pay attention to vehicles pulling unmarked trailers, because when such a vehicle passes you, you move a little to the left, assuming that the vehicle has passed, when it has a "continuation" behind it, and that can be dangerous.

As in Vojvodina and Istria, there is multiculturalism in towns and villages - Montenegrins, Serbs, Croats, Orthodox and Catholic churches, monuments to fallen partisans... There is more garbage than in Istria, but still less than in Vojvodina. The road is mostly flat everywhere except for a few short sections with tolerable climbs. In any case, watch out for the traffic - you'll enjoy it!

photo: Robert Choban

SPRING

At the beginning of the drive, in Prčnje, I come across the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or Our Lady, popularly called the Virgin's temple, with an impressive staircase. It is one of the most beautiful churches I have seen, it resembles the Portuguese one in Goa, India, which I visited ten years ago. Its construction began in 1789 and lasted 124 years, if we include the staircase in front, and it contains works by Venetian painters of the 17th century: Piaceta, Tjepolo, Balestro, Molinari, and Yugoslav painters: Kokolje, Meštrović, Rosandić, Stojanović, Milunović and Lubarda . The staircase and the statues around the church are quite worn out, so I hope they will be restored soon.

In Prčnje there is also the Orthodox Church of St. Peter Cetinjski, built in 1976, and on the very shore is the Church of St. Nicholas with the Franciscan monastery.

Among the many palaces of famous merchants and sailors from this place, the one known by the name "Tre sorelle" stands out, which is associated with a special legend.

The legend of three sisters (three sisters) is the story of the sisters Fiomena, Graziana and Rina who were widely known for their beauty, honesty and integrity and who gave all their love to one man - the young captain Jerko Novajanin. Jerko, a Herzegovinian sailor with a fickle nature, could not decide which one he liked the most, so he decided to go on a long voyage with the idea that he would marry the one who would wait for him. The sisters waited patiently at their windows for each ship, hoping that exactly one of them had brought Captain Jerk, the only man they loved. And they made an agreement: that when one of them dies, the others will brick up the window, so that when Jerko comes back, he can see that the sister whose window was "boarded up" is no longer alive. Not to wait for him anymore. Youth passed, and they waited and waited. When the eldest sister died, the others bricked up her window, then the second sister also died, not having met her sailor. When the youngest Rina left this world, there was no one left who could wall up her window, so it remained open. Today, in numerous tourist tours, the "Tre sorelle" palace, otherwise from the 15th century, is considered a "must see" place. Tycoon Vojin Lazarevic, its latest owner, disregarding the legend, opened one of the bricked-up windows. Some locals wonder what will happen if Jerko returns and sees Lazarevic at the window.

Ten years ago, I saw it at the Serbian National Theater in Novi Sad Three sisters Stevan Koprivica performed by the Tivat Culture Center. By the way, the play based on his text is one of the trademarks of Belgrade's Zvezdara Theater. Since its premiere in 2004, it has been played 125 times in seven years, and currently, after the renovation at the beginning of last year, it is back in the repertoire. The play was directed by Milan Karadžić, and in both versions the three sisters are played by Nataša Ninković, Sloboda Mićalović and Ana Franić.

muo, SCHALJARS

After Prčnj, here I am in a place with an unusual name - Muo. It got its name from the hyper-Stokavized form of the word "mul" - mole, pier. The picturesque town was once known for fishing groups. It was particularly noted for the calm nature of its inhabitants, who were said not to have gone to court or clashed with the law for 300 years. It is interesting that it borders the Škaljari settlement. At the end of the 19th century, it was a small town where poor fishermen and barcarioli (rowing taxi drivers) lived, squeezed between Kotor and Prčnje, and then in 1907 a fish canning factory was opened, which employed both men and women from Mulo. The beautiful Belvedere Hotel, built right next to the sea in 1913, is located in the town.

Church of Our Lady of Snow, Church of Christ, Church of St. Dujma, Church of St. Mihovila, Church of the Shroud of the Holy Virgin... Do you know where these temples are located? In Škaljari, in a settlement that has become a suburb of Kotor in the past ten years, but has also "become famous" for some other, less "celebratory" topics, which we will not talk about this time.

PERAST

At the entrance to Perast, cars and buses - stop, cyclists and pedestrians - forward! The right way to preserve the old core, unfortunately almost deserted town that once had 2000 inhabitants and today barely 500. As early as 1336, it had a shipyard that worked until 1813, and in the 17th and 18th centuries, about a hundred Peraš ships sailed the world's seas. It housed one of the most famous maritime schools, so Peter the Great, on the recommendation of Venice, sent the sons of famous noble families to Perast to be trained by the famous mathematician and navigator Marko Martinović. According to the data, 17 Russian princes sailed on his ship at one time.

In the center of the city is Pjaca, a square dominated by the Church of St. Nicholas with an impressive bell tower 55 meters high. Climbing the bell tower will cost you one euro, but the view from its top is worth every drop of sweat spilled up the steep stone steps. Apart from the Church of St. Nikola, Perast has 17 more churches. The Church of St. is very interesting. Anne, which is located high above the city, and was decorated with frescoes by Tripo Kokolja. The Orthodox Church in Perast is dedicated to the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Đ. is responsible for its construction and decoration, as well as for the establishment of the Serbian school. Đuranović, a citizen of Peraška.

The beautiful Peraška palaces, although today largely neglected and overgrown with ivy, still testify to the golden age of this city: "Šestokrilović" Palace, "Lučić-Kolović-Matikola" Palace, "Bujović" Palace, "Bronze" Palace, "Balović" Palace ( nova), "Vukasović-Kolović" Palace, "Brajković-Martinović" Palace, "Smekija" Palace, "Visković" Palace, "Mazarović" Palace, "Mrsha", "Martinović" Palace, "Krilović" Palace, "Čorko" Palace, "Zmajević" Small Palace, "Chismae-Štukanović" Palace, Burović House, Đurišić House with Mazarović Tower, Holy Cross Fortress...

Across from Perast, near the coast, there are two islands that represent a special attraction of this city. Saint George is a natural island. There is a Benedictine monastery from the 12th century on it, as well as the local cemetery of Perast. Gospa od Škrpjela is an artificial island created by throwing a stone on an underwater cliff. To this day, the custom of ritually throwing stones around the island - Fašinada - has been preserved. This manifestation is held every July 22, as a memorial to the day when, in 1452, an icon of the Virgin with the baby Christ was found on a rock, a rock, which was a sign from God and the reason for building a church for the Peraštans. At dusk, a procession of decorated boats filled with stones moves towards Our Lady. As the climax of the festivities, the brought stones are thrown into the sea around the island and the boats are returned. Traditionally, only men participate in the event. The church was built in 1630 and the octagonal chapel was added forty years later. The interior of the church was painted by the greatest local Baroque painter, Tripo Kokolja (1661–1713), a native of Peraštan. The frescoes are located on the ceiling and upper parts of the side walls and depict scenes from the life of Jesus Christ, the Virgin and the Prophet. Beneath the painted sections are approximately 2000 silver votive plaques detailing naval victories, whether over pirates or in a storm. Sailors brought them as a sign of gratitude to Our Lady for saving their lives in those skirmishes.

I enter the Museum of the City of Perast, the entrance fee is eight euros, above average for local conditions, it can be seen that they are "targeting" foreign tourists. At the entrance it is written that it was reconstructed in 2006 with funds provided by the USA. The museum exhibit is large, located in two buildings on three levels, and is quite conservative, without any museological innovations. My attention is drawn to the section dedicated to Count Luigi Paolo Mario Visković (1828–1891), a famous sea captain, consul and patriot. Members of the Visković noble family were prominent sailors, merchants, military leaders and diplomats, and Luigi Paolo himself brought Perast closer to European social trends. We are talking about an exceptional person, a captain, a consul, a Peraštan dedicated to his region, its past and customs, and the protection of cultural heritage. He was awarded numerous high honors by Austria-Hungary, Russia, Italy, the Vatican, the Two Sicilies, Saxony, Prussia and the Ottoman Empire. In the consular service, he advanced to the rank of Consul General of Austria-Hungary in the Ottoman Empire in Thessaloniki. An interesting detail: the project that resulted in the exhibition dedicated to Luigi Visković was financially supported by the hotel and restaurant "Conte" from Perast, which is not an overly common case of the synergy of cultural heritage and the HoReCa industry.

RISAN

I leave Perast and arrive in Risan very quickly. This city fell under the rule of Venice in 1684 and was under it until the fall of the Venetian Republic in 1797.

The Russian nobleman and progenitor of the Tolstoy dynasty, Peter Andreyevich Tolstoy, passed through Risan in 1698. He notes that Serbs of "Greek faith" live in the village, that their houses are made of stone, that they have plenty of food, that they are hospitable to Russians, and that they are similar to the Cossacks from the Don in all aspects. Risan was under the rule of Austria, Russia and France. The people of Rišnja stood out in the battles against the Turks. During the Nevesinj Uprising in 1875, Risan was a shelter for evicted Herzegovinian families and a link between the insurgents and the sea. In his travelogues, Lazar Tomanović praised Rišnjans as great Serbs, but resented their treatment of women as slaves, which he interpreted as a remnant of Turkish influences. He also wrote that they had a beautiful cathedral church, the market was called Gabella (ital. gabelle - customs), which proves that in the time of the Venetians there was a customs there. 240 inhabitants, all of the Orthodox faith, lived in 1500 houses.

There was still a lot to see while riding a bike through Boka: the Bay Tower near the Dražina Garden, the confluence of the Ljuta River with the sea, churches, palaces, memorials to those killed in traffic accidents, oyster farms, "Stari mlini", "Ćatovića mlini" and, towards the end, the Kamenara-Lepetana ferry. They run four boats, everything goes without waiting, flawlessly, ticket for a bike 1 euro. Before returning to the hotel, the Church of St. Mary from 1774 in Stolivo. For climbing to Stoliv Gornji and the church of St. Elijah and St. I didn't have the strength anymore and I was late for lunch (smiley), so that will be left for next time...

photo: Robert Choban

HUNT

At the end of our short stay in Boka, we decided on a trip to Lovcen and Njeguš. Our friends Miljan and Tamara Mugoša came to pick up the four of us with two cars, the navigation showed that in an hour and fifteen minutes we would be at the hotel "Ivanova Korita" for lunch. However, what was not visible on the navigation were the dizzying serpentines that I had only seen in Nepal and Latin America. Unaccustomed to such roads surrounded by walls left over from the time when Kotor was ruled by Austria, we barely survived. Lunch at "Ivan's Troughs" was excellent, but it was quickly spent climbing the 461 steps to Njegoš's mausoleum built in 1974 on top of Lovćen.

At the entrance to the Mausoleum, the central part of the building, there are two monumental figures of Montenegrin women made of black granite, caryatids, representing a mother and a daughter. Inside, six lateral and central niches made of Bokele and Brac marble. The vault is covered with a mosaic of 200.000 gilded tiles. The seated figure of Njegoš, with an open book, is the work of Ivan Meštrović. Bishop Rada's marble sarcophagus is simple, with a carved cross and the state coat of arms, symbols of spiritual and secular authority. The entrance fee for adults is five euros, and at the foot of it there is also a very nicely arranged restaurant and a souvenir shop.

Behind the Mausoleum is a circular lookout point that can be reached by a narrow, unsecured path. Besides Miljan and me, there is also a couple, it seemed to me that they were strangers. At one point a scream and a cry. A young man, an Italian, took out a ring at the top of Lovcen and proposed to his girlfriend from Cetinje. She said yes, we were the first to congratulate and photograph them.

"This was the easier part of the job!", commented Miljan, whose parents are from Cetinje. "Now you have to go to her father and tell her all about it!"