Our Lady of the Rocks History — the Legend, the Fašinada & the Church

Few places in Europe have a story as unusual as this one: an island that exists because people kept a promise.

The icon on the rock

Local tradition says that in 1452, two fishermen from Perast found an icon of the Virgin and Child resting on a rock just above the waves. Taking it as a sign, they vowed to build a church on the spot.

Building an island

There was only a reef. So, over the following generations, boatmen added stones after every safe return from sea, and old and captured ships loaded with rock were sunk around the reef. Slowly an islet rose above the water. A church was built in the 17th century and later enlarged into the building you see today.

The Fašinada

Every year on 22 July, at sunset, the people of Perast continue the tradition. Decorated boats are tied together and rowed to the islet, and stones are thrown into the sea around it — strengthening the island a little more.

Inside the church

The church and its small museum hold paintings by the Baroque artist Tripo Kokolja from Perast, along with silver votive tablets and gifts left by sailors and their families. The objects tell the story of a maritime town whose fortunes were tied to the sea.