PALACE OF THREE SISTERS ( 3 WINDOWS , 3 ROOFS , 3 DOORS )
OUR LADY ’ S TEMPLE , A PLACE OF CULTURAL EVENTS
The Palace of Three Sisters - “ Tre Sorelle ” in Prcanj is the best-preserved example of Gothic profane architecture outside the urban historical cities in Montenegro . It is not clear when it was built due to the lack of archival material , but it is sure that it has been here since the 1500s when it was mentioned in the archive in Kotor as “ Villa Trium Sororum ”.
Its architectonic concept is unique . The researchers argue that its present shape could not be the original one because of its unusual architectural style . This conclusion is based on non-identical styles of building techniques and the fact that the middle section is slightly inclined , suggesting that the concept of the palace has drastically changed over time . The palace is divided into three sections like a castle with towers which have three roofs and three windows on every level . The Gothic vaults and Gothic windows with an emblem of the noble family “ Buca ” from Kotor , the existence of a family chapel of St . Jeronimo on its right side and the unique architectonical concept has placed this palace on the top level of national protection . In spite of this , nothing has been done so far for improvement of management and protection of this palace and today it is standing without windows and is left on the ravages of time .
The palace is a private property , and a housing purpose is assigned to it in its management plan , which has been done completely unjustly , disregarding its historical value and the connection it has had in the collective memory of the indigenous population over the past 500 years . In answer to the question : “ In your opinion , what cultural purpose should be assigned to Tre Sorelle Palace ?”, 50.8 % of the respondents agreed that it should become the museum of Prcanj .
The research on how many people attend cultural events held in Prcanj and how many people regularly visit Our Lady ’ s Temple , the largest and the most beautiful church of this part of the Adriatic , in order to attend a religious service or a cultural event , provided the statistical data which seem very interesting . 13.8 % Of the respondents stated that not even once had they visited the church in the last 5 years , and 20 % of them said that they had visited it just once in the last 5 years in order to attend a religious service or a cultural event . Considering the fact that the cultural events in this church are usually held twice a year , and the Holy Mass is regularly served every Sunday , the statistic confirms that the service of Holy Mass is regularly attended by 10 people in average . More people from other cities and from abroad attend the rare cultural events held in the church than the inhabitants of Prcanj . However , the majority of the survey participants stated that the settlement of Prcanj lacks cultural and social life although the very same target group do not attend those rare cultural events . The reasons for this cannot be identified here and they are certainly numerous . It can be concluded that the respondents who stated that they had visited Our Lady ’ s Temple to attend a religious service or cultural event more than 20 times over the last 5 years actually visited the church to attend a religious ceremony .
COULD YOU OPEN ME THE CHURCH , PLEASE ?
In answer to the question : “ Do you consider that it is necessary to introduce permanent working hours for Our Lady ’ s Temple , which would require regular staff at the ticket office , at the entrance and as the security of the church , including a curator or a tourist guide ?”, 95.4 % of the respondents confirmed that it is necessary .
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