About the palace of ,,Tre Sorelle''
Prcanj, Bay of Kotor, Montenegro

The Palace of the Three Sisters is the best-preserved example of Gothic profane architecture outside the urban historical cities in Montenegro. It is situated in the town of Prcanj in Montenegro, on the waterfront of the Bay of Kotor. At the time when the palace was built, Prcanj was a very attractive place where wealthy noble families from Kotor resided. It is not clear when exactly it was built due to the lack of archival material, but it is sure that it existed here in 1500s when it was mentioned in the archive in Kotor as Villa Trium Sororum.

 

Historians date the palace to the beginning of the 15th century. In 1688, the entire area was already known as Le Tre Sorelle at the map of Disegno Topografico del Canale di Cattaro, Montenegro; Coronelli, Vincenzo (1650-1718). Its architectonic concept is quite unique. However, the attractive architectural design of the palace has been questioned by the researchers arguing that its present shape could not be the original one. This conclusion is based on non-identical styles of building techniques and the fact that the middle section is slightly inclined, suggesting that the concept of the palace has drastically changed over time. The palace is divided into three sections like a castle with towers which have three roofs and three windows on every level. The Gothic vaults and Gothic windows with the emblem of the noble family “Buca” from Kotor, the existence of a family chapel of St. Jeronimo on its right side and the unique architectonic concept has placed this palace on the top level of national protection. In spite of this, nothing has been done so far for improvement of management and protection of this palace and today it is standing without windows and is left on the ravages of time. The palace is a private property, and a housing purpose is assigned to it in its management plan, which has been done completely unjustly, disregarding its historical value and the connection it has had in the collective memory of the indigenous population over the past 500 years.

 

During the last decade, it has been subjected to non-professional restoration. In the course of this process, one of the sealed window was opened, which resulted in ruining the gothic plastics and spoiling the relation of the local people to the Story of Three Sisters and the windows that were sealed up when they passed away.

 

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HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE:

Kusevic, B. (2017). About the palace of "Tre Sorelle" from Prcanj. ‘‘The Archive of Landscapes”.[date].

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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).