Description of the attraction
When visiting the city of Budva, you may not even notice the Catholic Church of the Virgin Mary, which gave the name to the Budva Citadel. This ancient temple, built in the 9th century, is, as it were, a continuation of the fortress wall, and at first glance, one cannot even say that this is the House of God. The full name of this church is Santa Maria in Punta.
The legend that accompanies this temple says that the Spanish monks, spreading the Christian faith around the world, having arrived to the shores of Budva in 840, installed an icon of the Virgin Mary on the fortress wall, around which candles were lit. At the call of the monks, many Christians living in the city came to worship her. At this place, it was decided to build a church in honor of the above-named icon.
One of the landmarks of this region is a real inscription left on the fortress wall by monks during the construction of the church in the middle of the 9th century. On the entire eastern coast of the Adriatic, this inscription is considered the oldest.
The Church of the Virgin Mary in the XIV century was owned by the Franciscan monastic order, and it operated until 1807, when Napoleon's troops entered the city turned it into a stable. The acoustic system of this church is unique, so now all kinds of musical evenings are often held here.
Another feature of this church is that it has a common wall with the Orthodox Church of St. Sava, which also does not function today.
