The old footpath
Muo - Prcanj - Gornji Stoliv

The old footpath Muo - Prcanj - Gornji Stoliv, which is believed to have been active during the Middle Ages, used to connect the old settlements in the hills with the settlements along the coast as there were no coastal roads yet. Its numerous access paths, going upward from the sea, in a form of staircases and sloping cobbled ramps, most often lead to the parish churches in the hill. The most important branches are the path from the village of Muo to the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, the path from the village of Prcanj in the locality of Grasovo to the ruins of the old parish church in the hill and the path from Donji Stoliv to the Church of St. Elijah in Gornji Stoliv. These footpaths branches had the important religious role in the life of the people in this region, so that we can even talk about their pilgrimage character. A typical example is a path to the old parish church on the hill above Prcanj, where a miracle-working icon of the Mother of God was located, before it was moved to the Church of the Virgin by the sea, and where it was visited on feast days by up to 6,000 believers.

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A footpath in the hill, Muo - Prcanj - Gornji Stoliv, starts in the coastal part of the village of Muo. Near the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, this path branches towards Prcanj, and then extends above the former military complex, but it is mostly impassable. The path continues above the settlement of Glavati, passes by the old houses, and over Velja Rijeka and descends into the cove of St. Anna. Then, it runs by the old inhabited houses in the hill and continues past the ruins of the old Prcanj parish church and continues all the way to Gornji Stoliv. Unfortunately, the section from Muo to Glavati is completely impassable and unmarked, and it has not been maintained for years. This segment of the footpath should certainly be included in the Boka Kotorska hiking tour plan. This year, (May 2021) due to overgrown vegetation, a part of the footpath in Prcanj is not accessible, in the area of ​​Velja Rijeka - St. Anna - Mondov Potok, as well as part of the path in the locality Grasovo - Markov Rt - Gornji Stoliv.

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The footpath Muo - Prcanj - Gornji Stoliv is significant in several ways for the study of the history of these settlements and it belongs to the most interesting ones because it offers several kilometers of continuous panoramic views of the Bay of Kotor. It passes further by the oldest remains and ruins of houses in the hill, built of the stone walls between one and two meters thick. These houses are the most visible in the upper part of the village of Muo oriented toward Prcanj. There are ruins of the old medieval houses along the path in the cove of St. Anna, then along the path after passing the Church of St. Peter in Prcanj, as well as along the path from the village of Muo to the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian. Likewise, there are numerous family chapels and churches on the route Muo - Prcanj - Gornji Stoliv, many of which are in ruins.

 

​The landscape value of the footpath is reflected in the authentic construction techniques, in the combination of steps carved into the rock and stone steps, in addition to the cobbled stone ramps, and high dry-stone walls that follow and change the level of the path along the terraced agricultural land. Such wall systems are most present on the section of the footpath from Muo to the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian, then from Grasovo to the old Prcanj church in the hill as well as the site of Mondov Potok - Prčanj. The special character and the beauty of the footpath Muo - Prcanj - Gornji Stoliv lies in small altitude changes, as it runs through various types of landscape from rock and sedge, olive groves, pine, oak and chestnut forests to pastures with authentic agricultural varieties and old stone houses in the hills. The value of the footpath is also reflected in the numerous ruins of both residential and sacred architecture, which are a real asset for their future valorization and an opportunity to revive the "low - carbon" tourism and portray the authentic way of life of the people from this region from the ancient times to the present day.

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HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE:

Kusevic, B. (2021). The old footpath  Muo - Prcanj - Stoliv   ‘‘The Archive of Landscapes”. [date].

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BIBLIOGRAPHY.

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BACKGROUND PHOTO.

David Rumsey Historical Map Collection | The Collection; (1693) Disegno Topografico del Canale di Cattaro, Montenegro; Coronelli, Vincenzo (1650-1718).

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