The town of Prcanj in Kotor municipality in Montenegro is a coastal town which traditionally relied on the maritime trade and such tradition has remained to the present day . Historically , the first mentions of it were in 1222 in the correspondence regarding the construction of St Johan Church . During the medieval age , the town was being developed in the upper level in the hill and it relied primarily on the local agriculture . Later , at the beginning of the 15th century , the town rapidly started to develop in the coastal region .
Already at the end of the 16th century , sailors from Prcanj stood out with their ships ( fusta ) on sails and oars which overpassed the Venetian State ships , as witnessed by the Venetian governor-general Almorò Tiepolo ( 1593 ). In fact , by the end of the 16th century , due to their tremendous skillfulness at the sea , the administration of the Venetian Republic decided to give to Prcanj ’ s captains the great responsibility to transport State mail ( pubblici dispacci ) on their ships . The decision , come into force in 1625 , has brought many benefits to the population of Prcanj , such as relieving them from military service and physical , manual labour . On the other hand , the importance of a reliable postal service , ranging from Venice to Zadar and Kotor and even to Corfu , was of immense importance for the Republic of Venice .
The ships carrying mail were small in size and their crew numbered nine members . The privileges of the city grew thanks to this extraordinary role , and in 1704 Prcanj received the statute of Municipality ( Comunità di Perzagno ). This decision of the Republic resulted in huge benefits , namely the abolition of customs , which strengthened the economic growth that inncreased the city ’ s maritime economy . Maritime trade flourished during 16th and 18th century ; the ships owned by people from Prcanj grew in size and number so that by the end of the 18th century , Prcanj was a home port for 98 overseas ships . Prcanj ’ s wealthiest sea captains ’ families names were : Lukovic , Gjurovic , Sbutega , Lazzari , Mihnic , Florio , Verona , Milin , Petkic , Raffaeili , Beskuca , Marassi . The most frequent ports of the Prcanj sailors were the eastern Mediterranean ( Levant ), Ancona , Puglia , Venice and Trieste .
Today Prcanj is well-known as a health resort , which was recognized at the congress of Yugoslavian pulmonologists in 1920s ., and it attracts many visitors seeking for health improvement , sports training and family holiday in the peaceful scenery along the coast . It has a population of around 1,100 .