Prčanj ( Montenegrin and Serbian: Прчањ, ) is a small

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

along the

Bay of Kotor The Bay of Kotor ( Montenegrin and Serbian: , Italian: ), also known as the Boka, is a winding bay of the Adriatic Sea in southwestern Montenegro and the region of Montenegro concentrated around the bay. It is also the southernmost part of the hi ...

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. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 1128 people. It is located 5 kilometres west of

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 ...

, opposite to

Dobrota Dobrota ( Montenegrin and Serbian: Доброта) is a town in the municipality of Kotor, Montenegro. Although administratively a separate settlement, it is ''de facto'' a part of Kotor as it encompasses most of Kotor's residential area, whi ...

and between the settlements of

Muo Muo ( sr-Cyrl, Муо) is a village in the municipality of Kotor, Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates ...

and Stoliv. It was one of the most important maritime centers on the southern Adriatic throughout history.

History

The village of Perzagno (now Prčanj) was closely related to the nearby port of Cattaro (or ''Kotor''). While under the rule of the

Venetian Republic The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

, Perzagno gained fame in a rather unusual way. By the end of the sixteenth century, the administration noticed that sailors from here were able to sail to

Venice Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...

in less time than the government ships. As a result, it was then decided that the port be given the responsibility for the permanent mail service of the Republic. This was further established by a decree of 1625 that praises the inhabitants of the port for their conscientious and effective handling of the State mail. The decree was of tremendous significance for the town, as it freed its citizens from manual labor, a mandatory form of state service at that time. The decree officially made Perzagno a naval town, and its duties to the State were henceforth of an exclusively maritime nature. The importance of reliable mail service was of tremendous value to the Venetian Republic. Perzagno became the port from which the mail from

Istanbul Istanbul ( , ; tr, İstanbul ), formerly known as Constantinople ( grc-gre, Κωνσταντινούπολις; la, Constantinopolis), is the List of largest cities and towns in Turkey, largest city in Turkey, serving as the country's economic, ...

, which arrived overland through Montenegro, continued seaborne towards Venice. The town's ships were initially small in size, with crews of only nine men. The ships were ready to sail year-round and would negotiate the 400 mile journey to Venice by oar and sail. The town's privileges grew, and, in 1704, it was granted its own municipal district inside

Albania Veneta Venetian Albania ( vec, Albania vèneta, it, Albania Veneta, Serbian and Montenegrin: Млетачка Албанија / ''Mletačka Albanija'', ) was the official term for several possessions of the Republic of Venice in the southeastern Adria ...

. This was followed by the State's freeing the town of many tariffs. The lifting of tariffs provided an impetus for economic growth which further developed the town's naval character. Maritime trade flourished and its ships grew in size and number, so that by the end of the 18th century the port was hailed as home to over 30 tall-ships. The most prevalent trade goods were Montenegrin and Greek cheese, candles, salted sardines, and Dalmatian and Greek olive oil. The most frequent ports of call for the town's sailors were in the East Mediterranean or

Levant The Levant () is an approximate historical geographical term referring to a large area in the Eastern Mediterranean region of Western Asia. In its narrowest sense, which is in use today in archaeology and other cultural contexts, it is eq ...

, together with

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic S ...

Apulia it, Pugliese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographic ...

, and

Trieste Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...

. A significant setback for the port's maritime economy happened after the fall of the Venetian Republic (1797), which saw the arrival of the French under

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

and the resultant devastating British blockade of the Adriatic coast. The town was a part of the Napoleonic kingdom of Italy, but after Napoleon's defeat at the Bay of Kotor (''Bocche di Cattaro'') it was ceded to the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire (german: link=no, Kaiserthum Oesterreich, modern spelling , ) was a Central-Eastern European multinational great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the realms of the Habsburgs. During its existence, ...

at the

Congress of Vienna The Congress of Vienna (, ) of 1814–1815 was a series of international diplomatic meetings to discuss and agree upon a possible new layout of the European political and constitutional order after the downfall of the French Emperor Napoleon B ...

and became part of a province called the Kingdom of

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

. This initiated a revival of the town's maritime economy which lasted until the end of the 19th century, after which its tall-ships could no longer compete with the rapid advances in steamship technology.

Demographics

According to the 2011 census, its population was 1,130.

Architecture

Architecture in Prčanj bears witness to its prosperity in the 17th and 18th centuries. The town's waterfront consists of a long line of stone villas, unified by their beautiful facades and separated by gardens and olive orchards. The most impressive feat of architecture in Prčanj is the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary church. It seems out of proportion to the number of inhabitants and took 120 years to build (1789–1909). Prcanj-01

It was designed by a Venetian architect Bernardino Maccaruzzi. The church has a monumental baroque facade with Corinthian and Doric columns and displays a collection of paintings and sculptures worthy of its size, including works by

Piazzetta Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (also called Giambattista Piazzetta or Giambattista Valentino Piazzetta) (February 13, 1682 or 1683 – April 28, 1754) was an Italian Rococo painter of religious subjects and genre scenes. Biography Piazzetta was ...

Tiepolo Giovanni Battista Tiepolo ( , ; March 5, 1696 – March 27, 1770), also known as Giambattista (or Gianbattista) Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice who painted in the Rococo style, considered an import ...

Balestra Balestra may refer to: * Balestra (surname), a list of people * Palazzo Muti or Balestra, a 1644 townhouse in Rome * ''Balestra'', an Italian Navy Ariete-class torpedo boat of World War II * In fencing, a type of forward step, usually followed by ...

, Meštrović, and numerous other artists.Rellie, Annalisa. "Montenegro". The Globe Pequot Press Inc, 2005, p. 128.

Notable people

Ivan Visin Ivan "Ivo" Visin (3 November 1806 – 17 August 1868) was a naval captain of the Austro-Hungarian Navy and an explorer. Biography Visin was born in Prčanj, then under the occupation of the French Empire. At the request of the government of ...

(1806–1868), sea captain who embarked on a trip around the world and circumnavigated the globe aboard his ship Splendido.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Prcanj Populated places in Kotor Municipality Populated places in Bay of Kotor Tourist attractions in Kotor

History

Demographics

Architecture

Notable people

See also

References