St George island (Sveti Đorđe)
The natural island off Perast with a 12th-century church of St George and the old graveyard of the town, a category II cultural monument beside Our Lady of the Rocks
Natural island with church · Church 12th century · Bay of Kotor
St George (Sveti Đorđe) is the natural island off Perast, in the municipality of Kotor, beside the man-made islet of Our Lady of the Rocks. It carries a church of St George from the 12th century, the buildings of the monastery that grew around it, and the old graveyard of the people of Perast. St George is a category II cultural monument and lies within the UNESCO World Heritage region of Kotor.
Getting there
The island is seen from the Perast waterfront, which faces both islands, and from the water: from the boats to Our Lady of the Rocks and on the boat tours of the bay. Perast is on the coast road between Kotor and Risan: 13.8 km and about 22 minutes by car from Kotor, 20.6 km and about 31 minutes from Tivat Airport, 29.1 km and about 46 minutes from Herceg Novi and 87.9 km (about 1 hour 54 minutes) from Podgorica, in free-flow traffic.
What to see
- The church of St George, 12th century, with the monastery buildings beside it.
- The graveyard where the people of Perast were once buried.
- The two islands together, from the Perast shore or from the water: the built islet with its church and museum, and the wooded natural island beside it.
The legend of 1813
In 1813 the men of Perast took the Holy Cross fort above the town, and the French garrison withdrew to St George and set up cannons there. The town tells the rest as legend: a shot fired by a French soldier killed Katica Kalfić, the woman he loved; he became a friar on the island and was buried beside her. The story is also said to have inspired Böcklin's painting Isle of the Dead.
History
The church dates from the 12th century, and a monastery grew around it. Its abbot Ivan Krusala, a diplomat and theologian brought to Perast as a boy from Mystras in the Peloponnese, was among the envoys of Peter the Great of Russia who travelled across Asia to the Chinese emperor. It was Perast's Captain Marko Martinović who trained Peter's cadets in navigation in 1698. The island was Perast's graveyard. Perast and its islands were inscribed in 1979 as part of the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor.
Nearby
- Our Lady of the Rocks, the man-made islet beside it, with church and museum.
- Perast Museum in the Bujović palace on the waterfront.
- Maritime Museum, Kotor, for the seafaring of the bay.
- Boat tour of the Bay of Kotor, which passes both islands.
Questions
Can you visit St George island?
It is seen from the Perast waterfront and from the water, on the boats to Our Lady of the Rocks and the boat tours of the bay.
How old is the church?
The church of St George dates from the 12th century. The island's graveyard was the burial place of the people of Perast.
What happened there in 1813?
After the men of Perast took the Holy Cross fort, the French withdrew to the island and set up cannons. The story of the soldier and Katica Kalfić is told as legend.
History
12th century
Church of St George
The island's church dates from the 12th century; a monastery grew around it, and the graveyard was the burial place of the people of Perast.
Time of Peter the Great
The abbot and the tsar
Ivan Krusala, abbot of the monastery on St George, was among the envoys of Peter the Great of Russia to the Chinese emperor.
1813
The French on the island
After the men of Perast took the Holy Cross fort above the town, the French withdrew to the island and set up cannons. The legend of the soldier and Katica Kalfić belongs to this year.
1979
UNESCO
The Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor, which includes Perast and its islands, was inscribed as World Heritage.
On these trips
- 3 days in Montenegro: Kotor, Lovćen, BudvaDay 2 · Perast, Our Lady of the Rocks and Herceg Novi
- 7 days in Montenegro: coast to Durmitor loopDay 2 · Perast, Our Lady of the Rocks and Herceg Novi
- Day trips from Kotor: 7 trips with drive timesTrip 1 · Perast and Risan by road
- 10 days in Montenegro: the full loop by carDay 2 · Perast, Our Lady of the Rocks and Herceg Novi
Sources
Kotor Tourist Organisation, Our Lady of the Rock and St. George · National Tourism Organisation of Montenegro, Cultural heritage: UNESCO · Municipality of Kotor, Urban project of the town of Perast (2011): St George island, category II cultural monument · Muzeji Kotor, War room (Ivan Krusala, abbot of St George, envoy of Peter the Great to the Chinese emperor; Marko Martinović's training of Peter's cadets, 1698) · National Tourism Organisation of Montenegro, Top 10 attractions (St Nicholas bell tower 55 m) · OSRM routing (car, OpenStreetMap data, ODbL; times without traffic)
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