The Cetinje National Museum – For fans of history, as well as anyone who wants to learn about the history of Montenegro, the historical museum of Cetinje is a must-see. The official name of the museum is the Cetinje Museum, and the landmark is one of the town’s most important and largest cultural buildings. The museum is located in the building called Vladin dom, constructed in 1910. The museum has six sections: the pre-Slavic section, Middle Ages Section, the 15th thru 18th century section, the section displaying artefacts from the period of the establishing of Montenegro between 1796 and 1878, the section of Modern Montenegro, displaying items from the period between 1878 and 1918, as well as a section portraying Montenegrin unity with other Southern-Slavic peoples.
Here, you can look at the most important objects from the archeological sites in the country, ranging from paleolithic to medieval items. Copies of frescoes from the most notable churches and monasteries of the country, manuscripts, printed books, as well as various documents, an archeological collection, a collection of weapons, medals, honors, and numismatic and philatelist collections can all be seen there.
What attracts the most attention is surely the Icon of Our Lady of Philermos. Legend has it that the icon was painted a long time ago, supposedly by Apostle Luke himself. This relic had spent some time in Rhodes in the Orthodox temple of Philermos, which is where the icon got its name. It is known with certainty that it was brought to Jerusalem, and its history and path can be tracked from that point onwards. The icon was gifted to nations in despair, as a relic which brings good health and happiness. It was because of this that the icon then travelled to Constantinople, followed by Rome, where it became property of the priest-soldier order of Knights Hospitaller, who carried the relic to Cyprus.
The knights gifted the icon to Pavel I Romanov, who later forwarded the icon to Berlin. In 1932, the Metropolitan Bishop of Kiev gave the icon to Yugoslav King Aleksandar Karađorđević who, at the beginning of World War One, took the icon to the Ostrog monastery. since then, the relic has stayed in Cetinje. It is located in the so-called Blue Room of the Museum. The relic is priceless and it’s believed that it has miraculous powers.
Legends say that the icon was once kept in a monastery on the island of Malta. The monastery allegedly burned down in a tragic accident, but the icon remained undamaged. When you look at the icon, you will be able to see blue and red gems, as well as several rare diamonds.
Ticket price for the National Museum
The regular ticket price is 3 €
Reduced ticket price is 1.5 € (for pupils and students)
Tickets for the History Museum are also valid for the Art Museum in Cetinje
Working hours of the National Museum
The museum is open daily from 09:00 to 17:00
Author of the text:
Marijana Niković licensed tourist guide for Montenegro.
If you are interested in guided tours in English, please contact me at:
(Viber) 00382 68 230 241
