Description of the attraction
Many tourists, walking through the historical center of Kotor, completely indifferently pass by an ordinary, unremarkable four-story building on Muchnaya Square. And only the guides stop their wards in front of its facade in order to tell about the history of this originally Gothic building, which was rebuilt in the following centuries so that only those who understand architectural styles will be able to isolate features in its design that are characteristic of the Gothic, Renaissance and baroque.
This palace was the ancestral home of the powerful Bucha clan, whose representatives held prominent posts under the rulers of Serbia and other European countries, were engaged in trade, banking, and science. At the disposal of Messrs. Bucha were several palaces and villas on the Adriatic coast, but the palace in Kotor was considered the most favorite place to stay.
It was erected at the turn of the XIII-XIV centuries, and then many times altered, restored and improved, trying to smooth out the consequences of numerous devastating earthquakes that shook the Montenegrin land. So the Bucha palace lost the integrity of the architectural style. The last major earthquake to date in 1979 led to restoration work, during which the Gothic portals and window openings of the second floor were restored. They can be seen on all facades of the palace.
On the wall of the mansion, Mr. Bucha was ordered to carve his own coat of arms, which depicts a lily, the prototype of the French royal emblem. Here you can also see another coat of arms that belonged to the next owners of the palace in Kotor - the masters of Paskvali.
