Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela) and St George island, Boka Kotorska

While I was driving along the highway of the Bay of Kotor, from Herceg Novi to Kotor, in the middle of the bay, I saw two small islands rising above the calm surface of the sea.

The depth of the sea in this part of the bay is great, due to the steep mountains that surround it, so the existence of these islands is a real mystery.

One, larger island, St. George (also called The Island of the Dead), is natural and there is a monastery from the 12th century on it, as well as a large cemetery of noble families from nearby Perast.

And the second, smaller island with a church, Gospa od Škrpjela, is not natural.

A legend from the 15th century is associated with this small island.

It was July 22. In 1452, when two brothers, sailors, on their way back to Perast, on a cliff, saw an icon of the Lady with a child.
They took the icon and took it to their home, but in the morning, the icon disappeared from their home and reappeared on a rock in the middle of the bay.
The inhabitants of Perast vowed to build a church on that rock in honor of the Lady.
The rock was too small for the church, and it took the sailors from Perast almost two centuries to create an area on which it would be possible to build a church.
For centuries, they threw stones when their ships passed by, and also sunk old unusable ships on that rock, in order to enlarge the island as soon as possible and ensure sufficient stability for this large church with a tower.
The first church was built in 1630, and this one in its present form, far back in 1722.
Since the discovery of the icon of the Lady in the 15th century, every July 22, the "Fashinada" is organized, a boat procession with Perast residents and guests, when in the calm of the day they ride lighted boats around the island and throw stones from their boats next to the island, just like their ancestors five centuries ago.
In addition to the attraction, this is also a procedure that additionally strengthens the foundations on which this church stands and thus ensures stability for the future.

I did not go to the island and the church at dusk.

With a friend who owns a boat, I took off in the hottest part of the day in his boat.

The drive from Perast takes ten minutes and during that time you can enjoy the drive, but also the stories about these two islands.

Both islands have their love stories.

On the island of Sveti Djordje, during the Napoleon campaigns and wars, in 1813, the French army was stationed.
A young French soldier, he had a girlfriend, a love from Perast, and they planned a life together as soon as the war was over.
On the orders of his officers, the young soldier fires a cannonball at the city, at the rebels, however, it hits the house where his love lived and kills her.
When he found out, he left the army and became a monk in the monastery on the island where she was buried. Until the end of his life, he lived in a monastery near her grave, lighting candles every night, and when he died, he was found on her grave.
The unfortunate war did not allow them to spend their lives together, but they went to eternity together.

Unfortunately, the second love story, related to another, smaller island, Gospa od Škrpjela, does not have a happy ending.
A young woman, Jacinta, used to come to the church on the island to pray in front of the icon of the Virgin Mary, so that her husband would return home safely from the sea.
But from one trip, he did not come. 25 years have passed, and while waiting for him, Jucinta embroidered a tapestry from silver threads and strands of her own hair.

She waited for him for 25 years and went blind while waiting.
A beautiful tapestry remains as a witness to this sad love story.
In addition to the tapestry and icon of the Virgin, the church is full of various gifts and objects left by sailors as a gift for safe navigation.
These small silver plaques were placed out of gratitude for their Lady of the Rocks saving them on their voyages on the seas.

Painting of the interior of the church by artists from Perast gave this church the name "Sistine Chapel of the Montenegrin Coast".

The beautifully painted vault and walls of the church, with additional paintings on canvas, make this church a real gallery.
In addition to paintings and silver plates, the church contains various objects, photographs, paintings and decorations that were given as gifts by the local Boka people.

The contrast of the light from the dark interior to the sunny day was interesting to me, and the real enjoyment is when you go out on the terrace and observe Perast, the bay and the surrounding mountains.

The beautiful church simply entices you to take another shot, because the stone tower and the church represent a perfect contrast to the blue sky, blue sea and surrounding green mountains.

Even when there is an old cannon or a wooden boat in the frame, the photo is perfect.

Almost every time I get tired of walking, I sit on a small wall, and often (for photography purposes) I shift into a nap position, at least when I put a stone under my head.

And there are plenty of stones on this island.

Perhaps one of the most interesting is this stone sculpture, which represents the coat of arms of Perast.

When I saw this cannonball, I remembered the story of the French soldier and I was grateful to God and the Lady of the Rocks that my partner and I are healthy and alive and that it is possible to visit such beautiful and interesting places.

Such a beautiful story and a beautiful church on a small island deserve every recommendation and if I find myself in Boka again, I will certainly repeat the visit, which I also recommend to you.

[//]:# (!worldmappin 42.486079 lat 18.689707 long Our Lady of the Rocks (Gospa od Škrpjela), Boka Kotorska> d3scr)