PALACE ZMAJEVIĆ - Perast, Montenegro

Palace Zmajević is situated in the western part of Perast. The Palace is known as „Biskupija” (Bishop’s Palace) because it was the seat of two bishops, Andrija and Vicko Zmajević. The Palace, with family chapel dedicated to Gospa od Rozarija (Our Lady of Rosary) with octagonal belfry, presents the most conspicuous detail of Perast landscape, its most valuable ambience entity.

The Palace was built in several stages, and got its final baroque image at the time of Andrija Zmajević, as witnessed by the inscription on the front stating the year 1664. It is built on a rock and of local stone. The Palace presents a rare architectural conception. Symmetric disposition, with protruding central part above the cave in the rock, with the wings on strong bearing walls and outer staircase, leaves impression of building in the same breath. However, the building was performed in several stages: from the original defensive tower, which now presents the central part of the Palace, through extension of the tower towards the hill, to the building of the northern and southern wing. Decoration of the Palace with frescoes was done by the well-known baroque painter Tripo Kokolja, whose maecenas was Andrija Zmajević.

The Zmajevićs are one of the most significant Perast families, originating from village Vrba of Njeguši. They belonged to the kazada (extended family) Perojević. The heraldic insignia of the family is a winged dragon and a star, above two crossed feathers that are the symbol of Perojević kazada. The Zmajevićs gave some of the most distinguished persons of Perast.

Today the Palace is in the final phase of entire and thorough reconstruction. The basic architectural concept from the period of family Zmajević domination has been fully preserved. Certain structural changes have been made in the inner Palace, but the logics of its original construction has never been neglected, neither materials that could spoil the authenticity of the object dominating Perast have been ever used.

PALACE OF MEASURELESS WORTH

IMOBILIA is the sole owner of Zmajević Palace. Our enterprise acquired this historical object of truly inestimable value at the time when it was almost completely deteriorated by long period of negligence. According to historic data we made a detailed plan of reconstruction and therewith fully recovered the original image of the Palace.

We expect in near future the completion of all works, conservatorial works on the remains of the frescoes by Tripo Kokolja and entire functional recovery of Zmajević Palace, which with the family chapel presents a real pearl in the panorama of Perast, which is, not without reason, called town museum.