World Heritage Identification Number: 125
World Heritage since: 1979
Category: Cultural Heritage
WHE Type: Cultural Landscapes
Transboundary Heritage: No
Endangered Heritage: No
Country: 🇲🇪 Montenegro
Continent: Europe
UNESCO World Region: Europe and North America
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The Natural and Culturally Historical Region of Kotor: A Medieval Gem on the Adriatic Coast
The Natural and Culturally Historical Region of Kotor, situated along the picturesque Adriatic coast in Montenegro, stands as a testament to the rich cultural heritage and architectural prowess of the medieval era. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, inscribed in 1979, offers a unique blend of natural beauty and historical significance that captivates visitors from around the globe.
More to come…UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site
In the Middle Ages, this natural harbour on the Adriatic coast in Montenegro was an important artistic and commercial centre with its own famous schools of masonry and iconography. A large number of the monuments (including four Romanesque churches and the town walls) were seriously damaged by the 1979 earthquake but the town has been restored, largely with UNESCO’s help.
UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site
Criterion (i): It is the gathering on the gulf coast of the monuments of the cities, their harmony with the landscape, and their insertion in town planning of great value that contributes to the Outstanding Universal Value of the property.
Criterion (ii): As the main bridge-heads of Venice on the South coast of the Adriatic, the aristocratic cities of captains and ship-owners of Kotor and its neighbours were the heart of the region's creative movement for many centuries. Its art, goldsmith and architecture schools had a profound and durable influence on the arts of the Adriatic coast.
Criterion (iii): The successful harmonization of these cities with the Gulf, their quantity, quality and diversity of the monuments and cultural properties, and especially the exceptional authenticity of their conservation, mean that the property can effectively be considered as unique.
Criterion (iv): Kotor and Perast are highly characteristic and authentically preserved small cities enhanced by architecture of great quality. Their town-planning is well adapted to and integrated in the landscape. .
Encyclopedia Record: Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor
The Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor is a World Heritage Site located in Montenegro that was inscribed in 1979. It encompasses the old town of Kotor, the fortifications of Kotor, and the surrounding region of the inner Bay of Kotor.Additional Site Details
Area: 14,600 hectares
Number of Components: 1
(ii) — Significant interchange of human values
(iii) — Unique or exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition
(iv) — Outstanding example of a type of building or landscape
Coordinates: 42.48333 , 18.7
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© User:Ggia, CC BY-SA 3.0 Resized from original. (This derivative is under the same CC BY-SA license.)
World Heritage Research
Discover scientific research and academic studies that deepen our understanding of Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor from its history and significance to its conservation, management, and contemporary challenges.
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The billboardization of city entrances: Landscape and reframed identity
The proliferation of billboards at city entrances, particularly in protected areas like the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor in Montenegro, significantly disrupts urban integrity and cultural identity. This phenomenon, termed 'billboardization,' introduces visual pollution that challenges the region's socio-cultural narrative and reframes its identity through altered perceptions of the urban landscape. The study focuses on the Adriatic highway's Jaz-Kotor section, a buffer zone within Kotor's protected area, analyzing how billboard accumulation affects the city's image and cultural heritage. By employing a case study approach centered on the concept of the 'image of the city,' the research highlights the neglect of this urban space in contemporary urbanistic discourse, emphasizing its role as a key factor in eroding Kotor's distinct identity.
Radović, D. (2023). The billboardization of city entrances: Landscape and reframed identity. Arhitektura I Urbanizam, (57), 26–35. https://doi.org/10.5937/a-u0-44938
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Cultural landscape devastation as a consequence of poor Sustainable Urban Development practice Case study: Kostanjica, Boka Bay, Montenegro
Poor sustainable urban development practices have severely jeopardized the cultural landscape of Kostanjica, a UNESCO-recognized site within Montenegro's Boka Bay. Despite Montenegro's commitment to ecological preservation since 1991, the ongoing development of the tourist resort 'Boka Gardens' has led to devastating changes, threatening the region's UNESCO status. The study identifies profit-driven urban planning and architecture as key contributors to this destruction, highlighting the urgent need for more sustainable building practices to preserve the unique cultural landscape and regional identity.
KUJUNDZIC, K., & VUCKOVIC, S. S. (2019). Cultural landscape devastation as a consequence of poor Sustainable Urban Development practice Case study: Kostanjica, Boka Bay, Montenegro. Journal of Contemporary Urban Affairs, 3(1), 121–131. https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2018.4689
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