The Cathedral of Saint John, as well as the Orthodox churches of Saint Sava and The Holy Trinity stand next to each other, decorating this small square situated adjacent to the city walls.
During the summer, this square hosts a very rich and diverse cultural program, with many plays being acted out by the Theatre of Budva.
At the same square, next to the Cathedral of Saint John, there is a bell tower, one of the symbols of the city, which can be seen from every spot in and outside the city. This cathedral is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, who is the patron saint of Budva, and was constructed around the year 1200. The cathedral was renovated many times, and its current look dates back to the 17th century. Interestingly, this building is one of the few that did not suffer any major damage during the 1979 earthquake.
The bell tower, erected in 1876, is 36-meters tall. On the cathedral’s south side, there is a small bishop hall which was the seat of the Diocese of Budva until 1828, when it was disbanded.
One of the most prized items displayed in the church is the wooden icon depicting The Mother of God holding Christ, entitled “The Madonna in Punta”. It is thought that this icon is one of the oldest in the Riviera and is rightfully the most important sacred object of the historical district an is also known as “The Lady of Budva”. The mosaic on the rear side of the church, a work by Croatian painter Ivo Dulčić, is made out of glass and depicts the image of Saint John the Baptist.
Author of the text:
Marijana Niković licensed tourist guide for Montenegro.
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