FROM CATTARO TO UNESCO The city that would become a 21st-century cat haven has a complex history of conquest and cultural pollination. Founded by the Romans in 168 BCE, the city and region have been under Byzantium, Serbian, Hungarian, French, Austrian, and Yugoslavian reigns, among others. The Venetian Republic controlled Kotor from 1420 to 1797, during which time it was known as Cattaro. More recent history saw a 1918 revolt by Slav sailors in the Austro-Hungarian navy—known as the Cattaro Mutiny—reflect the sentiments of the October Revolution, a precursor to Kotor joining the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (which became Yugoslavia) from 1929 to 2003. Finally, Montenegro declared independence from Serbia in 2006, and Kotor has flourished as one of the small country’s most picturesque destinations ever since.
Those nearly four centuries of Venetian domination resulted in Kotor’s unique grandeur. Not only did UNESCO recognize Kotor’s Venetian-style architecture and 15th and 16th-century walls as World Heritage-worthy, but it also heralded the “exceptionally important role that it played over centuries in the spreading of Mediterranean cultures into the Balkans.” The city’s storied past has produced a blend of architectural styles to explore, from the massive Kampana Tower along the emerald-green Scurda River to the San Giovanni Fortress overlooking the town. Other highlights include the 12th-century St. Tryphon’s Cathedral, a Romanesque treasure dedicated to Kotor’s patron saint and rebuilt across the centuries after earthquakes, and a Baroque-and- Gothic-styled clock tower from 1602 in Trg od Oružja (Arms Square).
CATS MUSEUM Presented chronologically from the 16th century to 1970, this unusual collection of cat ephemera includes antique books, prints, manuscripts, coins, medals, ads, vintage postcards, memorabilia and other curiosities. The Cats Museum is open from May to October. An admission fee supports the local feline community, and a gift shop sells reproductions of museum objects alongside small bags of kitty chow.
45
Powered by FlippingBook