Kotor

Kotor (in Italian Cattaro) is a city of the south-west of the Montenegro, cash 19.000 inhabitants, the commune of the same name sheltering 23.481 inhabitants (2003). The old city of Kotor, surrounded by an impressive wall of defense, is particularly well preserved and classified by UNESCO on the Liste of the world heritage. Between 1420 and 1797, Kotor and its surroundings depended on Venice. This Venetian influence is noticed particularly in the structure and the architecture of the city. The Mouths of Kotor (" Boka Kotorska") who open on the Adriatic Sea, are the southernmost fjord of Europe. At the two ends of the Mouths of Kotor, the mountains of Lovcen and Orjen (1894 m) construct a natural unit delimiting the city and the mouths.

It is following the earthquake occurred the April 15th 1979 that UNESCO decided to make enter the city and the site within the list of the monuments and sites classified.

For a few years, Kotor has seen growing appreciably the number of tourists (Dubrovnik is only to one hundred kilometers), attracted and by the Bouches of Kotor and by the old city of Kotor itself.

Description of the city

The city is at the bottom of the throats of Kotor, in seaside and leant with a rock peak. Although the city is of a reduced surface, enclosing the walls, recently restored, have an overall length of 4,5 kilometers, for a 15 meters height and up to 20 meters of width. Indeed, these walls rise to the Midsummer's Day bastion, located at an altitude of 280 meters above the city and the sea level.

The remarkable inheritance of the city includes/understands in addition:

the Saint-Tryphon Catholic church;
the orthodoxe church Saint-Luc;
the Gurdić bastion;
the Place of Weapons;
the Grgurina palate;
the Sainte-Marie church.

History

The first inhabitants of the area were the Illyrie NS. Kotor was founded at the time of the République Roman, known under the name of Acruvium , and integrated into the Roman Province of Dalmatie. Ascrivium or Ascruvium was mentioned for the first time in -168.

Kotor was strengthened as of the top Moyen-âge, when the Emperor Justinien built a fortress overhanging Ascrivium in the year 535, after having expelled the Goths of the area, and a second city was undoubtedly developed in the close heights, because Constantin Porphyrogenitus, at the 10th century, evokes the bas-Cattaro. The city was plundered by the Sarrasin S in 840.

In 1002, the Bulgares plundered the city, which was yielded to the Serbia by the Bulgarian Tsar Samuel. The city revolted with the assistance of Raguse, and was subjected only in 1184, as a free city, succeeding in preserving its republican institutions, as well as the right to conclude from the treaties and to declare the war. It was episcopal see, and during the 13th century, of the monasteries Dominicain S and Franciscain S were founded to counter the Bogomilisme.

At the 14th century, trade with Cattaro , as the city at the time was named, was in competition with that of Raguse, and caused the jealousy of Venice. The fall of the Serbia in 1389 left the city without guard, and after being disputed in turn by Venice and the Hungary, it durably passed under Venetian domination in 1420.

Kotor was besieged by the Turks in 1538 and 1657, was touched by the Peste in 1572, and was almost destroyed by a Earthquake in 1563 and 1667. According to the terms of the Treated of Campo Formio in 1797, the city passed under Austrian domination . But in 1805, from the Treated of Presbourg, it was allotted to the Italy, and was annexed in 1810 by the First Empire French.

In 1814, the city was returned to the Austria by the Congrès of Vienna. The Conscription, imposed then abandoned in 1869 to be finally imposed in 1881, brought two revolts on behalf of the inhabitants of the mountains Krivošije below the Orjen, during which Kotor was the center of the Austrian operations.

During the First World War, Kotor was the theater of several important battles between the Montenegro and the Austria-Hungary. After 1918, Kotor was integrated into the Yugoslavia and after 1945 within the socialist Republic of Montenegro.

Until the beginning of the 20th century, catholic Croatian constituted the majority of the population of Kotor and other localities of the mouths of Kotor, whereas the orthodoxe population Montenegrin was more reduced. The latter however constitute from now on the majority of the population. See also: Bokelji.

Surroundings

Localities near the old city:

Dobrota
Muo

External bonds

tourist and historical Information on Kotor
historical and natural Report UNESCO in connection with the area of Kotor
Carnival of Kotor
http://www.idk.cg.yu/tour/
Photographs of Kotor

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