Our Lady of the Rocks

Our Lady of the Rocks is one of two charming islets in the bay of Kotor, standing proudly opposite the Perast Old Town. The islet is man-made and houses a Roman Catholic Church (bearing the same name as the island), a museum that’s attached to it, as well as a small souvenir shop that’s close to the navigation light. The islet Our Lady of the Rocks is considered one of the main attractions in Kotor Bay due to the legends surrounding its very origins.

The legend of its origin

Before the islet came to be, there was once only a crag amidst the sea. On the 22nd of July 1452 two local fishermen brothers came across the rock and discovered an item on it – an icon of the Holy Mother Mary. After taking it back home, the brothers soon found that the icon vanished. As soon as they voyaged the sea again, they rediscovered the icon at the same spot where they had found it initially.

Witnessing this marvel, the miracle didn’t take long to spread and so they decided to honor the Holy Mother and build a church on that same spot. However, the tiny “estate” was in no way suitable for designing such a blueprint, so they vowed to throw rocks around that crag after each journey, to form an artificial island. Little by little, with one local sailor after the other paying homage for a safe journey, an islet emerged from the sea.

The tradition of throwing rocks in the sea is alive even today, where on July 22nd locals approach the area at sunset with their boats to throw rocks, thus widening the surface furthermore.

Art

Inside the chapel, visitors can check out the many artifacts on display: over 60 paintings by Tripo Kokolja - a local baroque artist from the 17th century, more art pieces from Italian maestros, the icon of Our Lady of the Rocks, countless votive tables, votive tapestry, and much more. There’s also the rich-in-detail altar, made of Carrera marble, sculpted by famous Genovese artist Antonio Capilano. It is said that by putting your hand on the Madonna rock that’s behind the altar, the Holy Mother will grant you a wish.

We have two great tours during which you will visit Our Lady of the Rocks. Click on the excursion names and choose the one that best fits you: Perast and Lady of the Rocks - Group Tour and Lady of the Rocks and Perast Private Tour.

Our Lady of the Rocks has a courtyard that’s known throughout time as the “Place of Reconciliation”, where local quarrels had been sorted out, blood feuds pacified and brought to an end and various other gatherings.