Historic City of Kotor - Old Town

In the tenth century, it was an autonomous city of the Byzantine Empire. Kotor (Cattaro the Italian Name) was an independent republic from 1395 to 1420. Between 1420-1797 Kotor (Cattaro) and its surroundings belonged to Venice and the Venetian influence is typical in the architecture of the city. By the treaty of Campo Formio in 1797 it passed and protected to Austria.

The city Kotor has many cultural faces and exciting  historic buildings, such as the famous Cathedral of Saint Tryphon in the old town, built in 1166 and on the remains of the former temple from the IX century. The Romanic church of St. Ana dates from the end of the XII century and has frescos dating back from the XV century. Another  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. In the 14th century the commerce of Cattaro, as the city was then called by the italian, rivaled that of the nearby Republic of Ragusa, (Dubrovnik) and provoked the jealousy of Venice.

St. Mihovil a gothic styled church was built on the remains of the Benediction monastery from the VII century . St. Clara's church dates from the XIV century with the extremely beautiful marble altar, the work of Francesco Cabianca, from the XVIII century.- The Church of Lady of health originates from the XV century.- The Orthodox Church of St. Nicolas was built by the beginning of the XX century with a valuable collection of icons.

Also numerous palaces in the Kotor Stari Grad (Old Town) like the Drago palace with Gothic windows from the XV century, the Bizanti palace from the XVII century, the Pima palace, with typical renaissance and baroque forms from the XVI century the Grubonja palace with the built-in emblem of the old Kotor's pharmacy established in 1326. 

The Grgurina palace, from the XVII century, which today hotsting the Naval museum, and finally the Clock tower, from the XVI century, with the medieval pillory just beside.

Photo: River Bridge Kotor

1900: At the end of XIX century, Kotor, that is bay of Boka Kotorska or the southern fiord, as that bay is lately called, because of its unsurpassable beauty, got the epithet of the Bride of Adriatic.

After 1918, Kotor became part of Yugoslavia. It was an Italian province during World War II. After the War it was incorporated in the Yugoslavia.

A large number of the monuments (including four Romanesque churches and the town walls) were seriously damaged by the 1979 earthquake but the town has been restored, largely with UNESCO's help.