Sveti Marko Island ( cnr, Острво Свети Марко, Ostrvo Sveti Marko), historically known as Stradioti, is an island on the

Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...

, in the Montenegrin municipality of Tivat.

History

According to an

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic peri ...

legend the island was the gift of gods to Greek soldiers who healed their wounds after battles on the island. Out of gratitude, they swore that they will never again wage a war on their own, but only protect themselves if need be. They broke the oath eventually, and the enraged gods sent a deadly storm which killed everyone on the island, leaving only the beautiful old olive trees. Original name of the island in the Middle Ages, during the rule of the

Serbian monarchs This is an archontological list of Serbian monarchs, containing monarchs of the medieval principalities, to heads of state of modern Serbia. The Serbian monarchy dates back to the Early Middle Ages. The Serbian royal titles used include Knya ...

, was Sveti Gavrilo and according to another legend monastery dedicated to the mentioned Saint occupied the island. Together with the Sveti Mihailo Island it formed the ''Archipelago of the Holy Archangels''. After the takeover of the

Montenegrin littoral The Montenegrin Littoral ( Montenegrin: Црногорско приморје/Crnogorsko primorje), historically known as the Littoral or the Maritime, is the littoral or coastline region of Montenegro which borders the Adriatic Sea. The littoral wa ...

by 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, ...

, the island became known as the ''Stradioti'', after the Venetian

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from "cheval" meaning "horse") are soldiers or warriors who fight mounted on horseback. Cavalry were the most mobile of the combat arms, operating as light cavalry ...

composed mainly of the ethnic

Albanians The Albanians (; sq, Shqiptarët ) are an ethnic group and nation native to the Balkan Peninsula who share a common Albanian ancestry, culture, history and language. They primarily live in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Se ...

who had their fortress and barracks built on the island in 1499. Towards the end of the 16th century, the military units were disbanded and island was named after Sveti Marko, the protector of Venice.

About the island

Sveti Marko Island is located near the town of Tivat, in the Bay of Kotor. It is aligned with the Tivat's other island,

Prevlaka Island The Island of Flowers ( Montenegrin: Ostrvo cvijeća/Острво цвијећа), also known as Miholjska Prevlaka ( cnr, Михољска превлака, Miholjska prevlaka), or Island of St. Archangel Michael ( cnr, Острво Свети М ...

(the Island of Flowers). The island is entirely covered with greenery. In 1962, a tourist settlement was built there, with 500

Tahiti Tahiti (; Tahitian ; ; previously also known as Otaheite) is the largest island of the Windward group of the Society Islands in French Polynesia. It is located in the central part of the Pacific Ocean and the nearest major landmass is Austr ...

-style houses, without water supply or electricity. It was managed by Club Med, and until the

Yugoslav wars The Yugoslav Wars were a series of separate but related#Naimark, Naimark (2003), p. xvii. ethnic conflicts, wars of independence, and Insurgency, insurgencies that took place in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, SFR Yugoslavia from ...

, it was a very popular tourist destination. Today, it is mostly abandoned, making the island a somewhat exotic and mysterious destination.Ostrvo Sveti Marko
montenegro.travel

References

Islands of Montenegro Islands of the Adriatic Sea Tivat Municipality {{Montenegro-geo-stub

History

About the island

See also

References