The smallest island of the Krtoli archipelago, an islet known as Our Lady of Mercy or Školj, is a common motif on postcards from Tivat and one of the most beautiful sights in Tivat Bay. It is the less famous ‘brother’ of the Boka’s other island, the shrine Our Lady of the Rocks near Perast. However, unlike Perast’s island which was artificially created by adding materials onto the underwater reef, Tivat’s island has a natural origin. On this small islet (it is only one hundred and fifty meters in size) is a Franciscan monastery and church dedicated to Our Lady of Mercy, which was built in the second half of the 15th century.
Well-known Boka priest and historian, Don Niko Luković, wrote that monks initially lived at Školji and were later joined by other religious authorities, forming the congregation of Celestine St. George. During the 15th century, members of the Franciscan order arrived on the island and joined the Celestine until 1524 when they repealed due to disagreements over the shrine. In 1620 the island’s monastery and church were destroyed by the Turks, and later rebuilt by the Franciscans using voluntary contributions from followers and believers. In the 19th century, Krtola and Krasic pastors took control of the island and lived there with their own parishes. During an exceptionally strong storm on January 27th 1844, lightning struck the steeple of the church of Our Lady of Grace and significantly damaged the church and the monastery. One of the two pastors died and the other one was injured, however an antique wooden statue remained intact. The statue, which dates from the early 15th century, was a special symbol and of great importance to believers due to 500 years of pilgrimage to the island.
The church on the island was rebuilt in 1854, and in 1901 Kotor bishop, Frano Uccellini, added the convent and decorated the church. A summer house for students of the Episcopal seminary was also added to Školji. Today, Our Lady of Grace shows great harmony between the stone monasteries and churches, all on such a small area of land in the middle of the sea. It also has a beautiful garden with a well.
Aside from its historical significance, the shrine has great architectural and artistic value. Its walls show various architectural fragments, some of Lombard and Roman style, as well as Slovenian influences from the 10th century. The wooden statue of Our Lady of Mercy is attributed to the renowned Jakob from Kotor, who also created a high relief sculpture of the Virgin Mary for a church in Milan in 1462 (now found in an art museum). Apart from this statue, Školji has a Roman stone altar dedicated to the goddess Juno Lucini, goddess of mothers, which incidentally is an archeological rarity. The monastery on this small islet in Tivat Bay also has one of the richest libraries in the Boka region, with rare works of theological and scientific literature.
While this interesting history alone is a reason to visit Our Lady of Mercy, nowadays most visitors come to this unique shrine every year on 15th August to celebrate the Gregorian calendar’s Feast of Our Lady.
Written by Siniša Luković
Photo credit: Wikimapia, likemontenegro.me
