Prčanj
Encyclopedia
Prčanj is a small town
in Bay of Kotor
, Montenegro
. According to the 2003 census, the town has a population of 1244 people.
It is located 3 miles (~5 km) west of Kotor
, opposite Dobrota and between the settlements of Muo and Stoliv. All its history has been written at sea. It was one of the most important maritime centers on southern Adriatic.
the small village of Perzagno was populated by Dalmatian Italians
and was closely related tho the nearby Cattaro (now called Kotor).
While under the rule of the Venetian Republic, Prčanj (then called Perzagno) gained its fame in a rather unique way. By the end of the sixteenth century the administration noticed that sailors from Prčanj journeyed to Venice
faster than the government ships. It was then decided that Prčanj be given the responsibility of permanent mail service for the Republic. This was further purported by a decree from 1625 that lauds Perzagno inhabitants for conscientious and effective handling of State mail. The decree was of tremendous significance for the town as it freed its denizens from manual labor - a mandatory form of state service at that time. The decree officially made Prčanj a naval town, and its duties to the State were henceforth of maritime nature only.
The importance of reliable mail service was of tremendous value to the Venetian Republic. Prčanj became a port from where the mail from Istanbul
that arrived over land through Montenegro continued seaborne towards Venice. Perzagno ships were initially small in size and held a crew of nine. The ships were ready to sail year around and would negotiate the 400 mile journey to Venice by oar and sail.
The town's privileges grew and, in 1704, Perzagno was granted its own municipal district inside the Albania Veneta
. 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 the ships grew in size and number, so by the end of the 18th century Prčanj hailed as home port to over 30 tall-ships. The most prevalent trading articles were Montenegrin and Greek cheese, candles, salted sardines, and Dalmatian and Greek olive oil. The most frequent ports of call for Perzagno sailors were East Mediterranean (Levant), Ancona
, Puglia, Venice
, and Trieste
.
A significant setback for Perzagno's maritime economy happened after the fall of the Venetian Republic (1797), which saw the arrival of the French under Napoleon and the resultant devastating British blockade of the Adriatic coast. Perzagno was part of the napoleonic kingdom of Italy, but after Napoleon's defeat all the Bay of Kotor (then called "Bocche di Cattaro") was ceded to the Austrian Empire
at the Congress of Vienna
: it became a part of the province called Kingdom of Dalmatia
. This initiated the revival of Perzagno's maritime economy that lasted until the end of the 19th century, past which its tall-ships could no longer compete with the rapid advances in steamship technology.
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 painting and sculpture worthy of its size, including works by Piazzetta, Tiepolo, Balestra, Meštrović, and numerous other artists.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Bay of Kotor
Bay of Kotor
The Bay of Kotor in south-western Montenegro is a winding bay on the Adriatic Sea. The bay, sometimes called Europe's southernmost fjord, is in fact a submerged river canyon of the disintegrated Bokelj River which used to run from the high mountain plateaus of Mount Orjen...
, Montenegro
Montenegro
Montenegro Montenegrin: Crna Gora Црна Гора , meaning "Black Mountain") is a country located in Southeastern Europe. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south-west and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the northeast and Albania to the...
. According to the 2003 census, the town has a population of 1244 people.
It is located 3 miles (~5 km) west of Kotor
Kotor
Kotor is a coastal city in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. The city has a population of 13,510 and is the administrative center of the municipality....
, opposite Dobrota and between the settlements of Muo and Stoliv. All its history has been written at sea. It was one of the most important maritime centers on southern Adriatic.
History
Since the fall of the Roman EmpireRoman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
the small village of Perzagno was populated by Dalmatian Italians
Dalmatian Italians
Dalmatian Italians are a mostly historical Italian national minority in the region of Dalmatia, part of the Republics of Croatia and Montenegro.-Characteristics:...
and was closely related tho the nearby Cattaro (now called Kotor).
While under the rule of the Venetian Republic, Prčanj (then called Perzagno) gained its fame in a rather unique way. By the end of the sixteenth century the administration noticed that sailors from Prčanj journeyed to Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
faster than the government ships. It was then decided that Prčanj be given the responsibility of permanent mail service for the Republic. This was further purported by a decree from 1625 that lauds Perzagno inhabitants for conscientious and effective handling of State mail. The decree was of tremendous significance for the town as it freed its denizens from manual labor - a mandatory form of state service at that time. The decree officially made Prčanj a naval town, and its duties to the State were henceforth of maritime nature only.
The importance of reliable mail service was of tremendous value to the Venetian Republic. Prčanj became a port from where the mail from Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
that arrived over land through Montenegro continued seaborne towards Venice. Perzagno ships were initially small in size and held a crew of nine. The ships were ready to sail year around and would negotiate the 400 mile journey to Venice by oar and sail.
The town's privileges grew and, in 1704, Perzagno was granted its own municipal district inside the Albania Veneta
Albania Veneta
Venetian Albania was the name for the possessions of the Venetian Republic in southern Dalmatia that existed from 1420 to 1797. It originally covered the coastal area of what is now northern Albania and the coast of Montenegro, but the Albanian and southern Montenegrin parts were lost to the...
. 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 the ships grew in size and number, so by the end of the 18th century Prčanj hailed as home port to over 30 tall-ships. The most prevalent trading articles were Montenegrin and Greek cheese, candles, salted sardines, and Dalmatian and Greek olive oil. The most frequent ports of call for Perzagno sailors were East Mediterranean (Levant), Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
, Puglia, Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
, and Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
.
A significant setback for Perzagno's maritime economy happened after the fall of the Venetian Republic (1797), which saw the arrival of the French under Napoleon and the resultant devastating British blockade of the Adriatic coast. Perzagno was part of the napoleonic kingdom of Italy, but after Napoleon's defeat all the Bay of Kotor (then called "Bocche di Cattaro") was ceded to the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
at the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
: it became a part of the province called Kingdom of Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
. This initiated the revival of Perzagno's maritime economy that lasted until the end of the 19th century, past which its tall-ships could no longer compete with the rapid advances in steamship technology.
Architecture
Architecture in Prčanj bears witness to its prosperity in the 17th and 18th century, when had many buildings in venetian-style architecture. 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 Perzagno is the Birth of Our Lady church. It seems out of proportion to the number of inhabitants and took 120 years to build (1789–1909).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 painting and sculpture worthy of its size, including works by Piazzetta, Tiepolo, Balestra, Meštrović, and numerous other artists.
Notable persons
- Ivan VisinIvan VisinIvan Visin was a naval captain and explorer.Visin was a Catholic born in Prčanj, in the Bay of Kotor, then under occupation of the French Empire. On request of the government of the Habsburg monarchy, he circumnavigated the globe in a vessel called Splendido between 1852 and 1859. The journey...
(1806–1868), sea captain who embarked on a trip around the world and circumnavigated the globe aboard his ship Splendido - Jozo Gjurović (1827–1883), sea captain and the leader of national revival in Bay of Kotor
- Don Niko Luković (1887–1970), parish priest of Prčanj, writer and historian
See also
- Albania VenetaAlbania VenetaVenetian Albania was the name for the possessions of the Venetian Republic in southern Dalmatia that existed from 1420 to 1797. It originally covered the coastal area of what is now northern Albania and the coast of Montenegro, but the Albanian and southern Montenegrin parts were lost to the...