St. Anna Valley - Prcanj, Montenegro

St. Anna Valley represents the last portion of the cultural landscape of the inner Kotor bay in Montenegro,  which preserved its original horizontal and vertical structure, sprawling in full area from the sea to the hill.

The Church of St. Anna dates back to the 14th century and the ruins of an old parish house,bare the oldest remains of any residences in Prcanj. The sloped terraces of agricultural estates, made of dry-stone walls and planted with olive trees, and the oak forests sprinkled over a channelled stream of enclosed dry-stone walls, are features of the cultural landscape of this region. The techniques of channelling the stream flows and the way of maintaining the land by the traditional character testify the past eras and give evidence of the native landscape management. The UNESCO commission has stated that this area should be placed under careful spatial management, after undergoing a study of the impact towards cultural heritage in each intervention, in order to preserve its outstanding universal value (OUV). St. Anna Valley in Prcanj, with its agricultural terraces, and St. Anna church and the ruins of Sbutega palace, should be placed at top level of protection as cultural landscape of great value for the municipality of Kotor.

Unfortunately, due to the compromised urban planning and the lacking of regulation for preserving the cultural landscape in Montenegro and because of  the pressure of foreign investments, it is likely that this authentic area in Prcanj might be soon devastated by building there a real estate settlement . At this occasion, as architect and resident of Prcanj, I appeal to the State bodies in charge that this particular portion of the cultural landscape should be maintained and better understood, in order to preserve its inherited and unique features.

 

 

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HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE:
Kusevic, B. (2017). Valley of St. Anna - Prcanj. ‘‘The Archive of Landscapes”. [date].

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BIBLIOGRAPHY.

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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).

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