The churches of St. George and Our Lady of Skrpjela
Watercolour sketch
©2014 Charlene Brown
Having filed through the narrow streets of the last
couple of walled cities with a growing number of tourists, we knew we were no
longer on the road less travelled… and when we headed for Croatia along the
beautiful Boka Kotorska, we found ourselves on a route parallel to
several huge cruise ships. We were all focused on a striking feature of this bay -- two
churches uniquely situated on an artificial island created by sinking old and
seized ships loaded with rocks.
According to legend, local seamen, keeping an ancient oath sworn after
an icon of the Madonna and Child was found on July 22, 1452, would add a rock
upon returning from each successful voyage, and the custom continues… Every
year on July 22, local residents go out in boats and add some rocks to make Skrpjela just a little bigger.
