St. Nicholas Church – It is situated on the main square, a single nave structure, with its apse facing southeast. The present church was built in 1616, although it is said to have replaced an earlier church dating from 1564. Behind the 17th century church of St. Nicholas, on the northeastern side, a new, more ambitious church was begun under the Venetian architect, Giuseppe Beati, but only its apse and sacristies were completed. The foundation stones were laid beginning in 1740 and construction continued until 1800 when the work was interrupted by the Napoleonic Wars. Today, the two churches of St. Nicholas (the old and unfinished new) combine to form a single entity.
Next to the church, in 1691, as mentioned earlier, a lofty and handsome belfry was constructed by Ivan Skarpa, called “the Baptist”, from the island of Hvar. Although it was built in the baroque period, it had elements of both Romanesque and Renaissance styles. The major bell was given as a present by the archbishops Andrija and Matija Zmajevic in 1713. Two smaller bells were added in 1797. The clock on the belfry was brought from Venice and installed in 1730. Inside, the church of St. Nicholas displays a rich collection of paintings by Tripo Kokolja (1661-1713), the famous painter of Perast. The organ is a very old one with no known date of construction but the first mention of repair dates from 1699. Valuable paintings and precious vestments from the 16th and 17th centuries are kept in the treasury.
Our Lady of the Rosary – Andrija Zmajevic (1624-1694), Archbishop of Bar, built the chapel of Our Lady of the Rosary in 1678 as his mausoleum. The church and its belfry bear stylistic features of both Renaissance and baroque. The slender octagonal belfry is one of the most beautiful on the Adriatic coast.The belfry is supposed to have been designed by Andrija Zmajevic.
Church of St. John the Baptist - It is located in the western part of Perast, by the side of the old road. It was first mentioned in documents in 1595 and belonged to the medieval “Confraternity of the Wounds of Jesus Christ”. Its late Renaissance west facade has a fine portal with a small rose window and a two bell gables above, one on top of the other. One of its bells bears a casting mark from 1596. Some renovation was undertaken in 1703.
St. Anne’s Church – It stands about 300 meters above sea level. The exact year of its construction is not known, although Drago Martinovic (1697-1781) in his Annals refers to it as “antichissima” (very old), further stating that it was surrounded by houses. It was recorded that in 1693 its altar was destroyed in a fire and that a new one was built. Judging from the account books of St. Anne’s church and in particular, by one of rare signatures that Tripo Kokolja left at the bottom of the altar fresco, it can be concluded that the fresco was painted in 1708. The dimensions of the tiny church are only 5 x 3 meters. It is built simply of rough stone and roofed with stone slates. Its facade is topped by a small bellcote.
St. Mark’s Church – It is situated in Pencici near the Smekja palace. A small church/mausoleum dedicated to the Virgin, St. Anne, St. Mathew and St. Mark the Evangelist, it was constructed by Matej Stukanovic. Two high pilasters ending in Corinthian capitals flank the front. The roof gable includes a small rose window. On top of the gable, are the sculptures of the Resurrected Christ, St. Peter with keys and St. Mark with the gospel in his hand. On the back, is a three-light bellcote.
Inside the church, which was completely adapted into a warehouse by IMK JADRAN in 1959, only the remains of the Stukanovic brothers’ graves with damaged coats-of-arms, and a collective tomb of the Confraternity have been preserved. Among others, Martija Stukanovic, the archbishop of Bar and Andja, the wife of Admiral Matija Zmajevic were buried there.
St. Antony’s Church – Located in the upper part of Perast, near the Fortress of St. Cross, the church and nearby monastery were built in 1679 by the Mazarovic family. The Franciscans came to Perast in 1636, by invitation of the inhabitants, to open primary and nautical schools. They also practiced medicine and there was a pharmacy in the monastery. Two elliptical windows flank the portal on the baroque facade of St. Antony and there is a statue of St. Barabara above the door in a niche. Until the 19th century, the church had an organ. The monastery used to own a fine library but it was transferred to the Franciscan library in Kotor.
Orthodox Church of the Nativity of the Virgin – It was built in 1757 and restored in 1864. It is a single nave vaulted church with an apse, and semi-arched windows over the altar niches. Influenced by the coastal style, a wooden choir or “baladus” was subsequently constructed. The church was built in the Byzantine style and has a valuable iconostasis. |
