St. Trifon's Cathedral


Montenegro is famous not only for its wonderful nature and beaches , but also for its many attractions. And these are ancient architectural monuments, temples, monasteries. The pride of Catholics of Montenegro is the Cathedral of St. Tryphon, which is located in the city ​​of Kotor .

What is the cathedral?

The temple of St. Tryphon is a most valuable religious monument of Montenegro with a rich history. It is located in Montenegrin Kotor. St. Trifon's Cathedral belongs to the Kotor Catholic eparchy, and is considered a cathedral. It is also the center of the spiritual life of those Croats who live in this territory. There is no monastery in the cathedral of St. Tryphon.

The consecration of the temple was held July 19, 1166 in the name of St. Tryphon, patron of Kotor and local sailors. The cathedral was built on the ruins of the old church of St. Tryphon. Its facade in 1925 was decorated with a memorial plaque in honor of the 1000th anniversary of the coronation of Tomislav, the first Croatian king.

Today, St. Trifon's Cathedral is a famous part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site called "Kotor's Natural and Cultural History". The building of the cathedral is also an important object and, finally, a real symbol of the city, it is open for visits to tourists and foreign guests.

The Cathedral of St. Tryphon is recognized as one of the best places in Montenegro, along with the island of St. Stephen , the canyon of the Tara River and Old Budva . And tourist excursions along the coast of Montenegro, in addition to the island of St. Stephen and the Cathedral of St. Tryphon, include visits to ancient monasteries.

Architecture and decoration

The building of the temple is a beautiful example of the classical Romanesque culture of the XII century, even despite its numerous restoration. The first time the church was rebuilt after a strong earthquake in 1667, as a result of which it was necessary to rebuild part of the building and both belfries. As a result, the cathedral appeared some features of baroque. Between the towers appeared a wide arch-portico directly above the entrance, and the upper part of the facade of the building has since been decorated with a large rosette window.

The second time the temple was badly damaged by the 1979 earthquake. Restoration was carried out by modern restorers on the initiative of UNESCO. Between the two strong destructions there were others who also contributed to the overall architectural style.

Inside the cathedral, to the right of the main entrance is a sarcophagus with the remains of Andria Saracenes. It was in the IX century that he bought from the merchants from Venice the relics of St. Tryphon and transported them from Constantinople to Montenegro, and also built the first church of St. Tryphon here. The holy relics in the form of a truncated head of Tryphon rest in a white marble chapel, built already in the XIV century. With them is a wooden crucifix of an unknown origin until now. The rest of the relics are kept in Moscow and the Orel region, as well as in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev.

One of the important elements of the internal filling of St. Trifon's Cathedral in Kotor is a masterpiece of Gothic culture - canopy above the tabernacle. 4 columns of red marble hold an 8-coal 3-tiered structure, at the very top of which there is an angel figure. Rare marble was mined in the town of Kamenari near Kotor. Each tier is decorated with stunning stone carvings with scenes of the saint's life.

The altar of the temple is stone, it is made in Venice and covered with gold and silver. Historians have found that all the walls of the primary structure were decorated with frescoes, which to this day are practically not preserved. Also unknown is their author and his origin: Greece or Serbia. Inside the temple, many items of antiquity, gold and silver relics, shrines and a collection of paintings by famous painters are carefully preserved.

How to get to the Cathedral of St. Tryphon?

The building is located in the southern part of the Old Kotor, near the mountain ridge on the same area, next to the episcopate. City transport here goes with restrictions, it is easier to get to a taxi to the authorized border.

If you are walking around the city on your own, look at the coordinates of the building: 42 ° 25'27 "s. w. and 18 ° 46'17 "E. Near the cathedral along the coast passes highway E80. The entrance to the cathedral is paid for € 1.