Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks
Updated: 5 days ago
An island born of devotion, a small coastal town shaped by the sea.
There are places you can return to time and again without ever growing tired of them. For me, Perast is one of those places.
I have visited countless times, yet every visit still manages to surprise me. Nestled between the mountains and the sea, this small town has a charm all of its own. But it is the story of a tiny island just off its shores that makes this place truly special.
This is the story of Gospa od Škrpjela, Our Lady of the Rocks, also known as Our Lady of the Fishermen. Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks are inseparable, two places united by the sea, history and the traditions of a community that has preserved its identity through the centuries.
Perast and Our Lady of the Rocks. An Island Born from a Legend
According to tradition, on 22 July 1452, two sailors from Perast discovered an icon of the Virgin Mary and Child on a rock emerging from the sea.
The discovery was regarded as a miraculous sign, and the local people decided to create a place of worship on that very spot.
But the rock was too small.
So they began placing stones around it and sinking old boats filled with rocks. The work continued for generations, gradually creating the artificial island we know today.
It is an extraordinary story: an island built slowly, stone by stone, through the determination of an entire community.
And the tradition has never disappeared.
Every year on 22 July, during the Fašinada, the people of Perast travel to the island by boat and throw stones into the sea, symbolically continuing the work of their ancestors.
The Church of Our Lady of the Rocks
As you approach by boat, the church seems almost to float on the water, its blue dome and pale façade framed by the mountains of the Bay of Kotor.
The present building dates mainly from the 17th century and houses an astonishing artistic heritage for such a small island.
Inside, the walls and ceiling are decorated with numerous paintings by Tripo Kokolja, a Baroque painter from Perast.
The marble high altar houses the icon of the Virgin Mary and Child, traditionally attributed to Lovro Dobričević.
Yet what makes this church particularly fascinating is not simply its artistic value.
It is also the many expressions of devotion left here over the centuries, especially by sailors and families whose lives were closely connected to the sea.
Among its best-known treasures is an embroidery created by Jacinta Kunić, who, according to tradition, waited for years for her sailor husband to return. She used strands of her own hair to complete the work, her hair gradually turning white during the long wait.
A story that reveals, more powerfully than words alone, how deeply the sea shaped the lives of Perast's inhabitants.
Perast: A Small Town with a Remarkable History
Across the water from the island, Perast stretches along a narrow strip of coastline.
It is a compact town, with stone palaces, churches, small squares and a waterfront promenade from which your gaze is constantly drawn back to the two islands.
During the period of Venetian rule, Perast enjoyed considerable prosperity thanks to seafaring and maritime trade.
Families of sea captains and merchants built elegant palaces, many of which can still be seen along the waterfront today.
Walking through Perast means coming across traces of this past at every turn.
There is no need to follow a particular itinerary. Simply wander, admire the façades, stop by the churches and take your time looking out towards the sea.
Perast may be small, but its history is anything but.
St Nicholas' Bell Tower: Perast from Above
Among the town's most recognisable landmarks is the Church of St Nicholas, with its imposing stone bell tower.
Standing approximately 55 metres tall, it rises above the rooftops of Perast and offers one of the most spectacular views in the area.
From the top, the town appears nestled between the sea and the mountains. Red-tiled roofs stretch along the coastline, while the two islands are clearly visible offshore: Gospa od Škrpjela and Sveti Đorđe, the Island of St George.
It is a breathtaking panorama.
Climbing the bell tower also gives you a better sense of Perast's remarkable setting, occupying such a narrow stretch of land and surrounded by the grandeur of the Bay of Kotor.
A view that alone makes the visit worthwhile.
Two Islands, Two Stories
Looking out to sea from Perast, it is impossible not to notice the two small islands lying close to one another.
Yet they could hardly be more different.
Gospa od Škrpjela is an artificial island, created through the devotion of local sailors and accessible by boat.
Sveti Đorđe, on the other hand, is a natural island, home to a Benedictine monastery and an old cemetery. Its silhouette, dominated by cypress trees, gives it a quieter, more secluded atmosphere.
Together, they form one of the most recognisable views of Perast.
A Place to Return To
I have known Perast for many years and returned countless times.
On every visit, I rediscover something I love: the peaceful waterfront, the view from the bell tower, the mountains that seem to embrace the bay, and that little island whose story began centuries ago.
Perhaps that is where Perast's true charm lies.
Not only in the beauty of its landscape, but in the deep connection between a community, the sea and its traditions.
And to think that it all began with an icon found on a rock.
Text and photographs: Tatjana Laban – Agobatrip
Freelance Travel Designer | BEE Agobatrip
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