The island of St. George is located at the entrance to the Bay of Kotor from the direction of Verige, opposite the town of Perast, next to the island of Our Lady of the Rocks. It is thirteen centuries old, a witness and participant of important historical and social events. It is the keeper of one of the most beautiful and sad love stories - the story of Romeo and Juliet from Montenegro
This is the story of Ante Slović and Katica Kalfić. Namely, back in 1813, after the French conquest of this part of the coast, Napoleon Bonaparte's soldiers walked through Perast. Among them was the young officer Ante Slović from the island of Cres in Dalmatia. While he was walking in Perast, his heart was won by one of the most beautiful girls of that time - Katica Kalfić.
It was love at first sight and it grew into a great love story - unfortunately, with a sad ending: after the war, plans for a life together were destroyed. Namely, the people of Perast placed the occupation flag on the Holy Cross fortress. This provoked a reaction from the French army stationed on the island of St. George, and they fired cannons at Perast. The first cannonball was fired by officer Slović and it forced the people of Perast to raise the white flag. Everything ended quickly and Ante happily drove off to see his Katica. Instead of his beloved girlfriend, he was greeted by the sad news that his Katica was killed by the only volley that flew towards Perast, the very one he fired.
Hermit of Perast
Ante replaced the military uniform with a monk's robe. He became a monk and vowed to take care of Katica's grave forever. The hermit of Perast could not get over his unhappy love for Katica. There were always flowers on her grave, and at night, regardless of the time of year or the weather, a candle was burning. One day the inhabitants of Perast did not see the flame of the candle and then they knew that the only inhabitant of the island had died.
They found him lying over her grave, with a paper in his hand: "Bury me next to her, so that at least in death I can be with her." The people of Perast fulfilled his last wish. Above the grave, on which there is no inscription, rise two cypress trees that join in height. Perast’s Romeo and Juliet are resting there.
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