History

The town acquired its present urban plan and architectural appearance during the prosperous years of the 17th and 18th centuries. Although damaged by a long period of economic stagnation, the construction of a coastal road and various incursions on old towers and palaces, Perast today represents one of the most beautiful examples of baroque architecture on the Adriatic coast.

Perast panorama

Two primary factors have influenced the urban character of the place: a historic need for strong defenses and the blending of monumental and minor stone structures with sacral buildings of outstanding beauty.            

Under Venice (1482-1684), no continuous defensive barrier was erected around this exposed and fragile settlement on the border of the Ottoman Empire. In 1570, only the fortress, St. Cross, rose above the town. However, within the town a chain of ten watchtowers, called “cardaci”, presented a well-devised system of checkpoints to protect against attacks. These characteristic towers contributed to the unique appearance of Perast.

Of the more than three hundred (300) houses and palaces crowding the coast and slopes of the hill, two hundred and seven (207) buildings were classified in the 18th-century as being of architectural significance, one hundred and seventeen (117) as ordinary structures and fourteen (14) churches were noted as associated with the patronage of noble families. 
 

St. Nicholas Church

Of the churches, the unfinished parish church of St Nicholas deserves special mention. Its architecture, though incomplete, reveals the monumental design of Giuseppe Beati, who created a Venetian-Romanesque variant of baroque in the 17th century. In 1691, Ivan Scarpe began the construction of an impressive, 55m (179 feet) tall belfry with five stories and a divided series of loges at a cost of 55,000 ducats. An inscription on the belfry  proudly reads that the Turkish threat ended after the Venetians conquered Herceg Novi and Risan.  Although left open to the sky, the great apse of the main altar with its two sacristies makes a significant contribution to the coastline of Perast.

Other churches of note include the church of Our Lady of the Rosary with its outstanding octagonal belfry, built in 1687 on the high ground adjoining his palace by Archbishop Andrija Zmajevic; the church of St. Mark, dating from 1760, with a richly decorated facade, once the church of the Confraternity; the monastery and church of St. Antony, built near the fortress by the Mazarovic family in 1679; the church of St. John the Baptist; and the church of St. Anne.

Bujovi Palace

Outstanding examples of palaces must include the sumptuous Bujovic Palace, today the Museum of Perast. It was built in 1694 and decorated with five harmonious balconies opening off paired arcades on three sides of the building and fronted by a spacious cross-vaulted porch supported by massive pillars carved in the bugnatto technique. Although the newly constructed coastal road gives the palace the impression of being “sunk” and its overall artistic value compromised, the Bujovic palace is still one of the most beautiful edifices on the Montenegrin coast. 

Besides the Bujovic palace, the following palaces also beautify the coastline of Perast: the Smekja palace, with a large terrace projecting towards the sea, balconies ornamented with baroque balustrades and a third floor of narrow proportions which takes the form of an extended belvedere; the Bronza palace decorated with a marble relief depicting the scene of the Annunciation; and the palaces belonging to the Viskovic, Balovic, Mazarovic, Sestokrilovic and Brajkovic families.          

Fortifications

Perast lies at the foot of St. Elijah Hill, at one of the most beautiful and significant positions on the Gulf of Kotor.  For centuries, the people of Perast have guarded the strategically important strait of Verige, the gateway to Kotor. To protect this vital lifeline, they fortified two key points, the island of St. George and the church of Our Lady of the Angels. They also constructed a fortress.

Fortress of St. Cross

The Fortress of St. Cross - It was constructed on the heights above the town, at the locality called “Kasun” at the site of an old church from which it is said to have taken its name. The church is dated to the 9th century but it is not known if it was related to the cult of St. Cross in Perast. The latter is connected with the safekeeping of the Venetian gonfalon (standard) which bears a cross and the lion of St. Mark and even with the Serbian medieval flag, the so-called krstas-barjak – a flag with a cross. St. Cross is the patron saint of the old families of Perast.

The Cuisine of Perast

The specialty of Perast is called the bobi, a traditional sweet prepared at religious carnivals, the recipe of which is closely guarded by the town.  In other settlements along the Bay, doughnuts are prepared, while in Perast, the bobi are fried.  In appearance, they are similar to “bob” (a kind of bean) after which they are named.  Another famous sweet of Perast is a delicious almond cake.

Islands

Probably the most distinctive standard bearers of the identity of Perast are the two magical islands situated between the Verige strait and the town. Although differing in many respects, they lie in harmonious conjunction, united by the vastness of the sea.     

Like husband and wife, they display the historic attributes of male and female. The island of St. George is an intense, stalwart, dark and inward-looking natural island while Our Lady of the Rock is a slender, gay, light-filled “floating” island - that man has made.

Source: http://www.perast.com/html-ENGLESKI/index-english.html