⛪ Our Lady of the Rocks Perast

About This Sacred Site

Our Lady of the Rocks is a Roman Catholic church built on an artificial islet in the Bay of Kotor near Perast, Montenegro. Founded in 1452, the island was created by local sailors who deposited stones and remains after finding a painted icon of the Virgin Mary on a rock in the sea. The church contains valuable artworks, including paintings by Tripo Kokolja, and remains a site of local legend, devotion, and maritime tradition.

History & Origins

The church was founded in 1452 on an artificial islet created by local seamen who dropped rocks into the Bay of Kotor, a tradition known as Fašinada that continues annually each July 22. The initial construction followed the discovery of a miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary on a rock by two fishermen. The island was gradually expanded over centuries by generations of Perast sailors, with the present Baroque-style church completed in the 17th century. The church houses numerous votive tablets and paintings donated by local nobility and mariners. Renovations in the 19th century restored damage sustained during Venetian and Austro-Hungarian rule. The site remains an iconic landmark symbolizing maritime devotion and communal faith.

Spiritual Significance

Our Lady of the Rocks serves as a pilgrimage destination especially on July 22, the feast day commemorating the icon's discovery, during which the Fašinada tradition sees locals throwing stones to maintain the island. The church contains an icon of the Virgin Mary believed to be miraculous, venerated according to Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic devotional practices due to the region's historical religious diversity. The sanctuary hosts liturgies following the Byzantine rite, and the icon is central to prayers invoking protection for sailors and fishermen. The church’s numerous votive offerings reflect the longstanding seafaring community’s gratitude, while the legend is rooted in Marian apparitions, connecting local belief to broader Christian Marian doctrines.

Key Facts

• •Built on an artificial island created over centuries by dropping rocks into the bay
• •Legend dates to 1452 when sailors found a miraculous icon on a rock
• •The tradition of throwing rocks continues with the annual Fašinada festival each July 22
• •The church houses 68 paintings by Montenegrin artist Tripo Kokolja
• •An embroidered icon inside was made by a woman who waited 25 years for her sailor husband

Location

Coordinates: 42.4872, 18.6875