Kotor area has warm and dry summer and mild and humid winter.
Average annual temperature is 15,2 °C. The warmest month is July
with average air temperature od 25°C, the coldest is January
with 7,4°C. The autumn is warmer than spring for 2,0°C.
Kotor has average rainfalls 2.152 mm during the year. The most
rainfalls are during the Autumn (248mm) and Winter (243mm),
while even less in summer (68mm).
Frequent winds are blowing from southeast and south directions.
During the period of May 15th to October 10th the sea
temperature is over 18°C, and swimming season can continue even
to 144 days.
Kotor is situated on the southeastern part of Boka bay, on a
foothill of the mountain Lovcen. The area of community of Kotor
is 355 km2. Kotor is cultural, educational, economical an sport
center of this area.
As the only
fiord on the Mediterranean, Boka Kotorska was added to the list
of twenty five the most beautiful bays in the world in July
2000, the others being mainly in Scandinavia. Kotor is situated
on the southeast end of Boka Kotorska. The history of Kotor can
be traced to the most ancient times. In the surrounding caves
there have been found various tools and ceramics witnessing
humane existence from the Neolithic period, as well as drawings
on the walls of the cave at Lipci near Risan.
In the antique
period the Illyrian tribal state was the first organized humane
community on these territories. Roman conquest began by the end
of the third century BC and since the year 169 BC these
territories had been under the rule of Rome, and then were taken
over by the Byzantines. The first Slav tribes settled there in
the 12th century. Its first state was Doclea, later
called Zeta. Since the end of the 12th century Kotor
was in power of the members of the Nemanjic Dynasty until 1420
when the Republic of Venice occupied it and stayed there until
1797, the time of the Napoleon wars in Europe. After the stormy
period from 1797 to 1814 when this area was alternately under
the Russians, French, Austrians and Montenegrins, at the Vienna
Congress in 1814, Kotor became the constituent of the
Austro-Hungary Monarchy and remained under the rule of
Austro-Hungary until 1918 when this region became a part of
Yugoslavia until its disintegration.
For its unique
mixture of different cultures, Kotor entered the list of the
world cultural heritage under the protection of the UNESCO. In
the past, the most developed industry in this area was trade and
maritime affairs. Seafarers used to bring different products
from overseas which they would exchange for the goods they were
in need of. In that way Kotor became one of the most important
trading centres in this part of the Adriatic coast.
KOTOR FORTIFICATIONS
Kotor is among
few of Mediterranean towns which has preserved its fortification
system up to today. The walls surrounding the old town of Kotor
were one of the main motives and reasons why the UNESCO put this
city on the list of the world natural and cultural heritage in
1979. The fortification system of Kotor was built and developed
through centuries. The walls are 4.5km in length, at some places
they reach 20 m in height and 2-16 m thick. At the sea level of
260 m there is St. Ivan’s fortress on the basis of which there
are traces of Illyrian period.
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THE TOWN GATES
You can enter
Kotor through three town gates. The main gate is the Sea gate on
 the
western side. They date from the 16th century and are
constructed at the time of Venetian Providur Bernard Renier. A
long time ago the sea reached the very entrance. The gate was
built in the Renaissance and Baroque style, the proof of which
is the pillar and the arch done in the Bunjato technique. The
gate is surrounded by massive stone blocks and stone pillars.
The Sea gate has a vaulted passage. On the right side there is
Gothic relief from the fifteenth century showing Our Lady with
Christ. On the left side is St. Tryphon with the model of the
city and to the right St. Bernard holding ‘hostia’.
Gurdic Gate,
also called the South Gate, was once hardened with three belts
of gateways. It testifies that this gate was very important for
the town. It was separated from land by a drawbridge. This
bridge used to be lowered on the strange river Gurdic. It is
strange because there is no river bed to it. During the rainy
days it boils out from the cave muzzle and forces back the sea
water. During the summer time the river disappears in Lovcen
abysses and sea water fills in the gap again.
Gate of the
river’s or The Northern Gate was built in the Renaissance style
to preserve a memory of Kotor’s victory over famous Turkish
admiral Hajrudin Barbarosa in 1539. there is an inscription
above it, saying that Barbarosa besieged the town with 2000
ships and 30.000 soldiers, but still did not manage to conquer
it.
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MAIN TOWN
SQUARE
 The
Square of Arms is at the same time the largest town’s square.
This name was given to it because in Venetian period it was the
place where arms were repaired and stored. It is ringed with the
beautiful Providur’s Palace, Napoleon Theatre, the Clock Tower,
Arsenal building and tower of town guard.
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THE CLOCK TOWER
 The
Clock Tower is one of the symbols of Kotor. It occupies the
central place in the square opposite the main gate. It was built
in 1602 but it is supposed not to have been finished at the time
of the 1667 earthquake, as on that occasion the Tower
considerably inclined towards the west i.e. to the sea. Later
there had been some attempts to put it back in upright position
but after the 1979 catastrophic earthquake it returned to the
same position. The Clock Tower was partly built in the Baroque
style while the northern and eastern façade is in the Gothic
style. Below the Clock Tower there is the Pillar of Shame which
was used for punishment of an accused person by placing him/her
in front of the Pillar so that all the citizens of Kotor would
know for his/her offence.
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TOWER OF TOWN GUARDS
 The Tower of
Town Guards, the lean-to the Duke’s Palace, is an evident
example of military architecture – built to serve the military
purpose only. It was built of high-quality stone against the
interior side of western wall. The Tower was devoided of any
architectonic ornaments. In the 1979 earthquake it was destroyed
to such extent that it had to be break down up to the level of
the first floor and then restored in stone in original size.
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THE BESKUCA PALACE
 It was built in
the middle of the eighteenth century in a simple form without
any decorative elements. The only decorative element worth
mentioning is the Gothic portal that belonged to the Bizanty
family. The portal presents the real masterpiece of the floral
Gothic. The Palace belonged to the died out family Beskuca,
which was particularly powerful by the end of the thirteenth
century when they became a member of the nobility. The family
legend says that the Count Jozo Beskuca wanted to have a hundred
houses in his possession and change his surname into Stokuca,
but he did not succeed in it. After the family Beskuca died out
by the beginning of the nineteenth century, the Palace became
the property of the Kotor Community.
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THE BIZANTI PALACE
 The Palace
Bizanti with one façade is turned to Square of Arms and with the
other overlooking the street leading to Square of Flour. It was
built in the fourteenth century. After the 1667 earthquake the
palace changed its original look. The northern wing of the
palace was added, which is evident from the coat of arms with
the initials of Nikola Bizanti and the year of building 1674 on
the eastern wall of the palace. Both wings of the palace are
connected with the interior courtyard with a staircase which
gives the palace Renaissance form. The windows, portals,
staircase and the well with the family coat of arms have the
characteristics of the Baroque style.
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SQUARE OF FLOUR
 From the Bizanti
Palace onwards you come to Square of Flour. It was named after
the warehouses for flour which once were there. The palaces of
noble families Pima and Buca are in this square.
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THE PIMA PALACE
 The Pima Palace,
built after the 1667 earthquake, dominates the square with its
beauty. The palace portal with the terrace was built in the
Renaissance style while the windows and upper balcony which lies
on the twelve consoles were built in the Baroque style. The
balcony rail is the work of Kotor blacksmiths. Above the main
portal there is the coat of arms of the family Pima supported by
two angels. The palace was reconstructed after the 1979
earthquake.
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THE BUCA PALACE
 The Buca palace
is situated opposite to the palace Pima. Today’s look of this
palace does not depict the historical importance of the family
Buca, one of the most eminent families in Kotor. The original
Gothic palace was built at the beginning of the fourteenth
century but it was considerably destroyed in some of the series
of earthquakes that hit the town. It was reconstructed after the
1667 earthquake when it assumed today’s shape. From luxurious
Gothic palace remained only one ‘bifora’ or a window with two
arches on the western side that can be seen only from the town
walls.
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ST. TRYPHON’S SQUARE
 In this square
there are the most significant institutions of the town: the
building of Municipality, Bishopric, Historical Achieves, the
Institution for Protection for Protection of Cultural Monuments
and Cathedral of St. Tryphon.
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ST. TRYPHON CATHEDRAL
 The
Romanesque church built in 1166 on the fundaments of the small
Romanesque church from the ninth century. It is three-nave
Basilica, extensively restored several times, especially after
the 1667 earthquake when the bell towers and a part of the
façade were destroyed. After the earthquake, new bell towers
were made in the Baroque style. The rose windows on the façade
are those which attract the special attention. Once they were
Romanesque but today they are with Gothic-Renaissance motives.
St. Tryphon’s Cathedral has in its possession a rich collection
of art paintings preserving the works of Marin Lovra Dobricevic,
Tripo Kokolj, Paolo Veroveza, Hieronim Santa Croce and other
great artists. The church has a rich collection of gold and
silver relics, the works of local masters from the period from
the fourteenth to the eighteenth centuries. The interior of the
Cathedral is depicted with frescoes done by Greek
masters-pictores greci. The most important part of the interior
decoration of the Cathedral is the Romanesque Gothic ciborium
from the fourteenth century above the main altar. On the wall of
the apse there is the Golden Altarpiece with figures of Christ,
the Virgin, St. John the Baptist and St. Tryphon and sixteen
other saints. It is the masterpiece of Kotor goldsmiths’ work of
the first half of the fifteenth century.
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THE DRAGO PALACE
 The palace was
built in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries with all
elements of Gothic style. The palace consists of two wings,
southeastern and northern. As a decorative element there is
often a dragon which is on the coat of arms of the family Drago.
The windows and the portals are done in the Gothic style and
nicely chiseled out. The palace was damaged in the 1667 and 1979
earthquakes. Today it houses the Regional Institution for
Protection of Cultural Monuments.
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BISHOPRIC
 Bishopric is the
oldest institution in Kotor. Today’s building of Bishopric is
located next to the Cathedral of St. Tryphon and also belonged
to the family Drago.
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THE GRGURINA PALACE
 The palace
Grgurina belonged to the noble family Grgurina. It was built in
the eighteenth century in the Baroque style, with the façade on
which dominate stone balconies with balustrades. Particularly
interesting is originally preserved lay out of the floor rooms
according to the Venetian pattern which says: the master’s house
has four rooms and one parlour. Today in the palace is situated
the Maritime Museum whose collection shows development of
maritime affairs and cultural level of the inhabitants of the
Montenegrin Littoral and Boka Kotorska in the past.
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KARAMPANA FOUNTAIN
 Karampana
fountain in the past was the only source of fresh water in the
town. In present form the fountain derives from the Baroque
Epoch, from the end of the seventeenth or the beginning of the
eighteenth century. The forged rail is the work of an unknown
master blacksmith.
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ST. LUKA’S CHURCH
 It
was built by Mauro Kacafrangi in 1195 of which testifies the
ktitor’s inscription on the western façade. This is a modest
one-nave church whose main nave is longitudinally divided into
three parts. St. Luka’s church has characteristics of the
Romanesque and Byzantine architecture. This is the only building
in the town which did not suffer any major damage during
earthquakes. It was depicted with frescoes soon after its
construction, of which remained only some fragments on the
southern wall. The church altar was the work of Dascal
Dimitrije, the founder of the Rafailovic school of painting from
the seventeenth century. Once this church was catholic, but
later it was given to orthodox people to use. Thus the church
has two altars – the catholic and orthodox. The church floor is
made of tombstones of common tombs of Kotor citizens, as burials
took place in the very church until 1930s.
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ST. NICOLA’S CHURCH
The building of
the church started in 1902 and according to the inscriptions on
the façade it was finished in 1909. it was built in the
Pseudo-Byzantine style as one-nave church. The main façade is
framed with two bell towers. Of special value in the church is
iconostasis of the church made in 1908.
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ST. OZANA’S CHURCH or THE CHURCH OF ST. MARY OF THE RIVER
 This
church was built in 1221 on fundaments of the old Christian
Episcopal basilica from the sixth century. In this church once
it was baptistery – which was discovered in the research after
the 1979 earthquake. The church depicted with frescoes in the
fourteenth century by pictores greci. Today in the
church there are relics of Saint Ozana, and that is why the
citizens of Kotor also call this church Blessed Ozana.
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THE CHURCH OF ST. KLARA
 This church with
Franciscan monastery derives from the eighteenth century. The
church has a luxurious Baroque altar, the work of the sculptor
Francesco Kabjanka. On the place of today’s Franciscan monastery
once there was women’s Benedictine monastery with the church of
St. Bartholomew which does not exist today. The monastery has a
very rich library with a great number of old books, printed from
1450 to 1500.
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THE
CHURCH OF ST.MIHAILO
 Was
build on XIV or XV century,like the inscriptions in the
walls say,on the place where in the X century existed even
more bigger church.After the earthquake the church was
reconstructed.Today in this church there is Lapidarium where
we can find collection of stone monuments.
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ARSENAL BUILDING
 Arsenal
building is situated in the north-east corner of the Square of
Arms, which was named by it. Its locality was
determinated by the terms of that place , and also there was a
very powerful bastion Citadela with the castle called Kampana,
situated in the north-west corner of the town gates. In this
part of town was a huge
shipyard on the seaside, in front of the bastion Citadela.
At
the Square of Arms
, in front of Arsenal, was a meeting for
people who protected the old town afore the invasion of war
danger, for example, we can mention one of the most famous
battle whose leader was Hajrudin Barbarosa, in 1539. and who
intended to overmaster Kotor, but after three days, his army had
to give up.
In
this old building, was also facilitated
naval army, called " The Saints Tripun". Before the old town
changed its look completely at the begining of the sixtith years
of this century, this building has a very tall and rapid roof,
and only one floor which was stayed on the very powerful arcades
above the
groundfloor, with a tittle on its front door which says that it
was "The public arsenal of material for the basin staff".The
entrace for this building was from the main Tower, with stone
stairsways, which was removed at the end of the nineteenth
century, when the Arsenal building was turned into a huge bakery
for army, which was catering
Garrison
in Kotor.
When the Arsenal building was
reconstructed for the present funcionality,were built sideway
walls up to the heighth of the second floor, so today there are
groundfloor and two floors.
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NAPOLEON THEATRE BUILDING
 It was built in
the eighteenth century. In 1810 the French occupying authorities
reconstructed this building to establish regular theatre, one of
the first in this country. To turn it into the theatre, they had
to break down the northern façade. This building was
considerably damaged in the 1979 earthquake when its southern
façade was almost completely destroyed. The restoration of the
façade was carried out in all details by academic sculptors and
builders from Macedonia. The interior of the object was entirely
adapted for an exclusive restaurant and entertainment object.
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THE DUKE’S PALACE
 It was built
in the eighteenth century. Together with the Tower of the town’s
guard it makes almost all eastern façade of the town. In the
past it was an official seat of the Venetian providures. It
served for various military purposes. Although without any
architectonic decorations except the Renaissance consoles that
support the balcony it nevertheless presents one of the more
important architectonic monuments of Kotor.
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