Museum Square, Kotor

Museum Square is one of the main squares in old town Kotor. It is here that you'll find one main attraction--the Maritime Museum housed in Gregorina Palace.

The palace was home to the noble family Gregorina. It was built in the 18th century from stones brought from the island of Korcula in Dalmatia, now Croatia.

It was gifted to the town by Bishop Marco Antonio and was used for a town administration building during the 19th century. It also housed the Austrian military command office. Between the World Wars, the district government used it.

The palace has held the collections of the Kotor Maritime Museum since 1900. Besides the keys to the city, numerous artifacts and displays depict the city's seafaring history. Unfortunately, the building was completely destroyed in the earthquake of 1979 and rebuilt in the early 1980s.

While the name doesn't hint at it, the Maritime Museum is one of the best places to learn about Kotor and Montenegrian history. Some displays educate about the World Wars, weapons from the 17th and 18th centuries, and an ethnography department with folk costumes and antique furniture.

Also of interest on Museum Square is Karampana. This is a public well faucet from the 18th century. The community collected their drinking water here until 1917. The well also served as a meeting place where community members would chit-chat and gossip.

Museum Square connects with two other historic town squares--Saint Lucas's and Saint Tryphon's.