St Tryphon Cathedral

One of only two Roman Catholic cathedrals in Montenegro, the Romanesque twin-towered cathedral of St Tryphon (Sveti Tripun) is found in the delightful alleyways of Kotor Old Town and dedicated to the patron saint of the town. Standing on the site of an older church built in the seventh century by Andrija Saracenis to house the relics of Tryphon, the cathedral was consecrated in 1166 but thanks to a series of earthquakes, it has had several incarnations down the centuries. Today’s façade dates from 1667, when the Baroque bell towers were added, but the interior still remains an homage to Romanesque architecture. The vaulted roof is criss-crossed with tiny bricks and supported by pink brick pillars as well as marble columns, forming a three-aisle nave. There are 14th-century frescoes on the walls of the cathedral and a wooden crucifix in the reliquary chapel dates from 1288; here lie the relics of several saints, including Tryphon’s hand encased in silver. The cathedral’s biggest draw, however, is the silver-and-gold screen featuring a range of saints that covers the main altar; this is considered the most precious religious artifact in Montenegro and is topped with a stone carving depicting the life of St Tryphon.

Practical Info

Trg Sv Tripuna, Kotor Old Town. Admission €2.50; opening times daily 8am–7pm. Kotor is easily accessed from Dubrovnik in Croatia in two hours along the D8 Adriatic motorway.