Brskovo ( cnr, Брсково) is a village in northern

Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = M ...

, within the Municipality of

Mojkovac Mojkovac (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Мојковац, ) is a town in northern Montenegro. It has a population of 3,590 (2011 census). Mojkovac is the centre of Mojkovac Municipality, which has a population of 8,622.silver mines Silver mining is the extraction of silver from minerals, starting with mining. Because silver is often found in intimate combination with other metals, its extraction requires elaborate technologies. In 2008, ca.25,900 metric tons were consumed ...

and a

mint MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaA ...

. Brskovo encompasses the whole complex of smaller localities, today overgrown with dense wood and weeds, between the Rudnica and Bjelojevići, the tributaries of the

Tara River The Tara ( sr-cyrl, Тара) is a river in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. It emerges from the confluence of the Opasnica and Veruša rivers in the Komovi Mountains, part of the Dinaric Alps of Montenegro. The total length is 146 ...

History

Brskovo was first mentioned between 1219 and 1228, in a trade charter of

Stefan the First-Crowned Stefan Nemanja II ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Немања II, ), or Stephen the First-Crowned ( sr, / , ; – 24 September 1228), was the Grand Prince of Serbia from 1196 and the King of Serbia from 1217 until his death in 1228. He was the first ...

, addressed to the

Republic of Ragusa hr, Sloboda se ne prodaje za sve zlato svijeta it, La libertà non si vende nemmeno per tutto l'oro del mondo"Liberty is not sold for all the gold in the world" , population_estimate = 90 000 in the XVI Century , currency = ...

. The Latin name for Brskovo was ''Brescia'', and it used to be the centre of a district. Having been regularly visited by merchants from

Kotor Kotor (Montenegrin Cyrillic: Котор, ), historically known as Cattaro (from Italian: ), is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Bay of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative c ...

and Dubrovnik, this town with the Virgin's church administered by the Dominicans from Dubrovnik, had been at its zenith in the 1280s, while from 1350 onwards, it completely declined. As a mine, Brskovo was established by the

Saxons The Saxons ( la, Saxones, german: Sachsen, ang, Seaxan, osx, Sahson, nds, Sassen, nl, Saksen) were a group of Germanic * * * * peoples whose name was given in the early Middle Ages to a large country (Old Saxony, la, Saxonia) near the Nor ...

inhabiting this area. They had their prince and Catholic priests. During its golden age, at the time of

Stefan Uroš I Stefan Uroš I ( sr-cyr, Стефан Урош I; 1223 – May 1, 1277), known as Uroš the Great (Урош Велики) was the King of Serbia from 1243 to 1276, succeeding his brother Stefan Vladislav. He was one of the most important rulers ...

, a customs office existed in Brskovo as well as, a century later, a consulate of Dubrovnik. Money called «Grossi de Brescova» was minted in Brskovo.

Dante Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...

in his ''Paradiso'' mentions the mines and mint in Chapter XIX, pp. 139-141. In 1399, the

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic o ...

took Brskovo, and according to Dubrovnik sources, in 1433 it was an abandoned place. On the whole inland territory of present-day Montenegro, Brskovo was the only commercial centre whose importance could measure up to that of the coastal towns. Not even coastal towns could boast about such value of production and income. At a dominant position, remains of a fortification – Hill-fort– i.e. a town controlling nearby and the more distant area is situated.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, its population was 222.

References

* Historical Lexicon of Montenegro, Book 1, - "Daily News-Press", 2006.

External links

Medieval Money «Grossi de Brescova»
{{Mojkovac Municipality Populated places in Mojkovac Municipality Economy of Serbia in the Middle Ages Serb communities in Montenegro