Our Lady of the Rocks

Our Lady of the Rocks is the name of one of two small islands in Boka Kotorska bay, close to the old town or Perast. The unique feature of these islands is that they are nearly entirely man-made.

The Our Lady of the Rocks began as a jumble of rocks, and on July 22, 1452, two fishermen, brothers Mori, discovered an image of the Virgin Mary there, according to folklore. On the location, a little Orthodox chapel was constructed.

The territory of Boka and the city of Perast were taken over by Venetians in the 1600s. They built a Catholic chapel on the site of the original orthodox one in 1630. They chose to add to the island's size by piling rocks from the mainland and sinking ancient ships. The tradition has persisted to this day. Perast residents take their boats out at sunset on July 22nd and throw rocks into the water. Fainada is the name given to this ritual.

Location: coast of Perast, Bay of Kotor, Montenegro