Prčanj
Prčanj (Montenegrin and Serbian: Прчањ, ) is a small town along the Bay of Kotor, Montenegro. According to the 2011 census, the town has a population of 1128 people.
It is located 5 kilometres west of Kotor, opposite to Dobrota and between the settlements of Muo and Stoliv. It was one of the most important maritime centers on the southern Adriatic throughout history.
The village of Perzagno (now Prčanj) was closely related to the nearby port of Cattaro (or Kotor).
While under the rule of the Venetian Republic, Perzagno gained fame in a rather unusual way. By the end of the sixteenth century, the administration noticed that sailors from here were able to sail to Venice in less time than the government ships. As a result, it was then decided that the port be given the responsibility for the permanent mail service of the Republic. This was further established by a decree of 1625 that praises the inhabitants of the port for their conscientious and effective handling of the State mail. The decree was of tremendous significance for the town, as it freed its citizens from manual labor, a mandatory form of state service at that time. The decree officially made Perzagno a naval town, and its duties to the State were henceforth of an exclusively maritime nature.
The importance of reliable mail service was of great value to the Venetian Republic. Perzagno became the port from which the mail from Istanbul--which arrived overland through Montenegro--continued seaborne towards Venice. The town's ships were initially small in size, with crews of only nine men. The ships were ready to sail year-round and would negotiate the 400 mile journey to Venice by oar and sail.
The town's privileges grew, and, in 1704, it was granted its own municipal district inside 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 its ships grew in size and number, so that by the end of the 18th century the port was hailed as home to over 30 tall-ships. The most prevalent trade goods were Montenegrin and Greek cheese, candles, salted sardines, and Dalmatian and Greek olive oil. The most frequent ports of call for the town's sailors were in the East Mediterranean or Levant, together with Ancona, Apulia, Venice, and Trieste.
A significant setback for the port'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. The town was a part of the Napoleonic kingdom of Italy, but after Napoleon's defeat at the Bay of Kotor (Bocche di Cattaro) it was ceded to the Austrian Empire at the Congress of Vienna and became part of a province called the Kingdom of Dalmatia. This initiated a revival of the town's maritime economy which lasted until the end of the 19th century, after which its tall-ships could no longer compete with the rapid advances in steamship technology.
It is located 5 kilometres west of Kotor, opposite to Dobrota and between the settlements of Muo and Stoliv. It was one of the most important maritime centers on the southern Adriatic throughout history.
The village of Perzagno (now Prčanj) was closely related to the nearby port of Cattaro (or Kotor).
While under the rule of the Venetian Republic, Perzagno gained fame in a rather unusual way. By the end of the sixteenth century, the administration noticed that sailors from here were able to sail to Venice in less time than the government ships. As a result, it was then decided that the port be given the responsibility for the permanent mail service of the Republic. This was further established by a decree of 1625 that praises the inhabitants of the port for their conscientious and effective handling of the State mail. The decree was of tremendous significance for the town, as it freed its citizens from manual labor, a mandatory form of state service at that time. The decree officially made Perzagno a naval town, and its duties to the State were henceforth of an exclusively maritime nature.
The importance of reliable mail service was of great value to the Venetian Republic. Perzagno became the port from which the mail from Istanbul--which arrived overland through Montenegro--continued seaborne towards Venice. The town's ships were initially small in size, with crews of only nine men. The ships were ready to sail year-round and would negotiate the 400 mile journey to Venice by oar and sail.
The town's privileges grew, and, in 1704, it was granted its own municipal district inside 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 its ships grew in size and number, so that by the end of the 18th century the port was hailed as home to over 30 tall-ships. The most prevalent trade goods were Montenegrin and Greek cheese, candles, salted sardines, and Dalmatian and Greek olive oil. The most frequent ports of call for the town's sailors were in the East Mediterranean or Levant, together with Ancona, Apulia, Venice, and Trieste.
A significant setback for the port'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. The town was a part of the Napoleonic kingdom of Italy, but after Napoleon's defeat at the Bay of Kotor (Bocche di Cattaro) it was ceded to the Austrian Empire at the Congress of Vienna and became part of a province called the Kingdom of Dalmatia. This initiated a revival of the town's maritime economy which lasted until the end of the 19th century, after which its tall-ships could no longer compete with the rapid advances in steamship technology.
Map - Prčanj
Map
Country - Montenegro
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| Flag of Montenegro | |
During the Early Medieval period, three principalities were located on the territory of modern-day Montenegro: Duklja, roughly corresponding to the southern half; Travunia, the west; and Rascia proper, the north. The Principality of Zeta emerged in the 14th and 15th centuries. From the late 14th century to the late 18th century, large parts of southern Montenegro were ruled by the Venetian Republic and incorporated into Venetian Albania. The name Montenegro was first used to refer to the country in the late 15th century. After falling under Ottoman Empire rule, Montenegro gained its semi-autonomy in 1696 under the rule of the House of Petrović-Njegoš, first as a theocracy and later as a secular principality. Montenegro's independence was recognised by the Great Powers at the Congress of Berlin in 1878. In 1910, the country became a kingdom.
Currency / Language
| ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
|---|---|---|---|
| EUR | Euro | € | 2 |
| ISO | Language |
|---|---|
| SQ | Albanian language |
| BS | Bosnian language |
| HR | Croatian language |
| HU | Hungarian language |
| SR | Serbian language |