Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
EARTHQUAKE
The Conservation of the Historic
Monuments and Art Treasures
Unesco
MONTENEGRO
EARTHQUAKE
The Conservation of the Historic
Monuments and Art Treasures
Unesco
This brochure was prepared on behalf of Unesco by the ICCROM
Publications Section with the collaboration of George S. Burrows, who
wrote the text, and Azar Soheil-Jokilehto, who carried out the design.
Acknowledgements
Cover Photograph
Unesco 1984
Printed in Italy
Page
The Earthquake 5
Historical Background 9
Aftermath 29
Progress 34
An Appeal to the World 43
Shopping List : 45
Maps
A. Montngro 4
B. Locations and Protected Centres 11
Town Plans
Kotor 12
Budva 16
OldBar 22
Ulcinj 28
Tables
1. Cultural Properties Damaged 7
2. Estimtes and Fdral Budgets 36
3. Payments to Communes 38
4. Allocated Budget - September 1983 39
MONTENEGRO
ICRNA GORA)
X
THE EARTHQUAKE
HEAVILY
PROPERTY DAMAGED DESTROYED TOTAL PERCENTAGE
DAMAGED
Ethnographical 1 -
1 2 0.1
Engineering &
Technical 7 - 2 9 0.5
Nat. Liberation
War Monuments 29 5 2 36 2.2
Ruins 12 1 2 15 1.0
PERCENTAGES 36 35 29 100 %
* The International Centre for the Study of the Prservation and the
Restoration of Cultural Property.
-: * '?ifcTV'fl -. -.*,.. i-9*'.. -^ifiL ^^ fd
Man has lived in this area since earliest times and traces of
Paleolithic occupation from over 60,000 B.C. hve been
found. From the 5th century B.C. Montngro was inhabited
by Illyrian tribes who with their seat of government on the Gulf
of Kotor established the state of Illyria, one of the most
important cultural centres in the Mediterranean between the
5th and 2nd centuries B.C. The territory was later conquered
by the Greeks and then by the Romans under whose
domination it became part of the province of Dalmatia with
major cities concentrated along the coast.
Emperor Diocletian divided Dalmatia into two provinces,
Dalmatia and Prevalitania, which boundary became the
frontier between East and West when the Empire was
partitioned in A.D. 395. After the conquest in A.D. 540, part
of the land was absorbed into the Byzantine Empire and from
then onwards the Church of Rome and the Orthodox Church
of Byzantium existed side by side in a constant struggle for
supremacy, and the two streams of Christianity were to hve
an overriding effect on the art of Montngro.
In the 6th and 7th centuries, waves of Slav tribes invaded the
country and while they adopted Christianity, they clearly
maintained their own identity and thse cultures merged in
the building of monasteries, temples, and in the fresco
paintings.
The llth to 15th centuries was a turbulent time during which
the dynasties of the Vojislavljevics, Nemanjics, Balsics and
Crnojevics rose to power, fighting to increase their territories
and establish independent feudal states. This was perhaps the
most important period in Montenegro's cultural history when
there was a great flowering of monastic building. Each state
produced a distinctive style in architecture, stone carving,
sculpture, fresco painting and iconography, thanks to the
synthesis of Romanesque and Byzantine influences. There
was fine working in precious metals, inlay and ornamental
textiles. The state of Zta (founded on the area of the Roman
city of Doclea, later called Duklja by the Slavs) became the
first independent state and some outstanding works of art
were produced there. The Schools of Masonry and
Iconography at Kotor were reknowned, as were the frescoes
by the Greek masters (pictores graeci). From the monastic
centres came a growth of literature and printing was
established in the late 15th century.
In 1499 Zta fell before the massive Turkish invasion from the
south east which was to last for about 300 years. Zeta's ruler,
Ivan Crnojevic, retreated west with his court into the
inaccessible mountain area of Lovcen, and founded the city of
Cetinje which was to become the political, spiritual and
cultural centre of Montngro. During later centuries Cetinje
was the seat of bishop rulers who ruled the small independent
territory of Montngro. Under the Turks, Islamic culture was
10
Map B: locations and protected
centres. Ancient coastal towns and
major monasteries.
11
KOTOR
I.Catnedral
2.Prince's Palace
12
St. Luke's Church from 1195 - Kotor
OU Town. Characteristic of Zeta's
architectural style with its cupola
without a square base or tambour.
13
forcefully propagated and the growth of the cities was halted
as they became fortified centres. Much church property was
destroyed as the buildings were converted into mosques, and
monasteries and churches could only be built on the site of
previous foundations. Elsewhere in the country the
monasteries continued to produce fine schools of painting and
iconography, and of particular note is Moraca Monastery.
Then came the Balkan Wars (1912-14) and the First World
War which entailed extensive damage to the cultural hritage.
Following the war, Montngro became part of the newly-
created kingdom of Yugoslavia.
14
15
16
Budva - of tbe 200 buildings in tbe
Old Town, only 6 remain unscatbed.
17
Opposite:
Frescoes from tbe severely damaged
Praskvica Monastery - the first stage
of the rescue opration.
Above:
HercegNovi - the youngest of the
coastal towns, founded at the end of
the 14th century, suffered badly in
the earthquake.
Left:
Old Bar- the walls were severely
damaged in the earthquake.
19
The many wars for freedom, social justice and national
independence had been truly won but not without enormous
sacrifice of human lives and material damage. In order to
appreciate Montenegro's artistic culture it is necessary to
appreciate the circumstances in which it was produced. In the
postwar period, the resolution and dtermination of the
Montngrin peoples to build their country afresh has created
a stronger social and conomie base which has allowed their
inhrent artistry to merge once again. Despite their turbulent
history, the strength of this land has always inspired sensitivity
and a deep need to maintain traditions. The rich national
costumes, old songs of war, ancient dances, painting, music
and poetry are considered insparable from the vital instincts
to live and struggle for survival. Today thse traditions are as
strong as ever.
The secure future of the country has suffered yet another cruel
blow from the dvastation of 15th April 1979 but the people
of Montngro are sparing no toil or self sacrifice in the fight to
conserve and restore the glories and achievements which are
their rich and rightful inheritance.
Opposite:
The 15tb century Church of St
George perched high on the rocky
cliffs of the Gulf of Kotor at Orahovac
- severely damaged but now fully
restored by the Municipal Institute for
the Protection of Cultural
Monuments, Kotor.
20
<v.
22
The town wall of Old Herceg-Novi fell
into the sea.
,-^iii
\ ^^9^
^i^^-i-
^-
23
The Batsi Tower in the musum
complex at Ulcinj suffered badly.
.7>r--
J^^-
Right:
One of the many palaces around
Kotor Bay that bear the scars of the
earthquake.
Below:
Looking down on tbe characteristic
roofscape of Kotor Old Town from
the cliffs. r
27
ULCINJ
l.llyrian Rampart
2-Bolani Wall
3-Vaults
4-Balsic Tovuer
5.Church.Mosque
6.Customs House 50
7. Prince's Palace
28
AFTERMATH
30
The first estimtes of damage to cultural property made in
1979 amounted to some 10,527,690,000 Din which
represented just under 15% of the total earthquake damage.
In today's terms, rocketing inflation has escalated this figure to
3,174,098,500,000 Din, approximately 27,600 million US
Dollars (see Table II, page 36) .
The Yugoslav Government has decreed that it will meet
81.839% of the estimated costs attributed to cultural
property, the remaining 18.161% being the responsibility of
the local communes. To help meet the total costs of the
disaster the Government has set up a statutory fund whereby
each worker contributes approximately 1% of his monthly
income during the ten year period 1979-1989.
After the preliminary clearance of rubble and the carrying out
of prventive works, individual work projects hve been
prepared giving more detailed estimtes of materials, labour
requirements and costs for the conservation, repair and
restoration of the more important monuments and public
buildings which include musums, archives and galleries,
churches and monasteries together with many private
properties. In addition protective measures hve had to be
taken to prevent any further dtrioration of the thousands of
precious frescoes and other paintings most acutely at risk.
This work has taken much longer than first anticipated and
many problems hve had to be overcome, not least of which
is the serious shortage of skilled art restorers and trained
conservators. Help has been forthcoming from outside the
country but mainly for short periods of time only and a more
continuous contribution is essential. Fresco conservation is
exacting and highly detailed, demanding long periods of
concentrated work. Montngro is fortunate in having a long
tradition in the fine arts and has some very talented artists in
this field but the task is a daunting one and many more
specialists are an urgent necessity, as, too, are the materials of
this trade which are either in short supply or very difficult
indeed to obtain. Time is of the essence if thse precious
paintings from past centuries are to be saved for mankind.
The work of building conservation is also very specialised and
again there is a real shortage of skilled architects and
engineers who hve exprience in the field. Help has been
forthcoming from ail over Yugoslavia as well as other
countries but there is vital and continuing need for expert
assistance.
31
Life size silver sculpture of St.
Silvester - t^'pical of the work of the
Kotor goldsmitbs of tbe 14(h century.
It is now in Zadar.
32
Problems of accessibility, the severe shortage of petrol in the
country and administrative difficulties hve brought further
complications which hve proved to be more difficult than
could be foreseen, but nevertheless considrable progress has
been made.
33
PROGRESS
34
TABLE II: DAMAGE TO CULTURAL PROPERTY
ESTIMATES AND FEDERAL BUDGET AS AT 1979
36
Project documentation completed: Lukovic Palace, Chapel of
St. Ivan, Churches of St. Rocko, St. Trinity, St. Lukas, St.
Vid, St. Gospodja, St. Autun, St. Mucenici, St. Ivan in
Djurasevici, Church of the Assumption, Monastery of St.
Peter.
37
TABLE III: PAYMENTS RECEireD FOR CULTURAL PROPERTY BY COMMUNES UP TO 1 SEPTEMBER 1983 (in Dinars)
, .,-^ ,
38
VIII) Cetinje and Rgion
Project documentation completed: Blue Palace, Library and
Musum Archives, Military Barracks, Zetski dom Thtre,
Njegos's birthplace, Cetinje Monastery, Vlaska Church,
Preobnrazenska Church, Celija Dobrska.
Work in progress: Biljarda, Historical Musum, 19th century
Girls' School, former Russian Embassy to house the
Faculty of culture, old Pharmacy, former British Embassy,
Theological School.
Work completed: former Austrian Embassy now the
Republic Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments,
King Nicolas's Palace now the State Musum, National
Gallery, Bishop's House.
Work has also started in the communes^ of Titograd, Niksic,
Ivangrad, Plav, Bijelo Polje, Pljevlja and Zabljak.
HEREG
1,549,746,000 14. 64 X 66,800,000 0. 88 %
NOVI
39
Gradis te Monastery. Emergency
protective works under construction to
safeguard tbe valuable frescoes from
further damage by tbe lments. See
cover photograph of the same church
taken sbortly after the earthquake.
Opposite:
Monastery Church of St. Savina near
Herceg-Novi. llth century church
completed in late IStb century
showing a syntbesis of styles tbrough
which Zta architecture passed from
Romanesque to Baroque.
40
41
AN APPEAL TO THE WORLD
43
Dtails of the six projects accompanying this brochure are
examples of the many diffrent programmes already worked
out and hopefully to be undertaken shortly. Help can take the
form of a gnerai contribution, or towards a spcifie project,
either financial or as a gift of materials urgently needed (see
Shopping List on pages 45 to 47) .
The six projects are listed below in order of cost:
Prince's Palace, Kotor 4,725,000 US Dollars
Church of Our Lady, Prcanj 761,194
44
SHOPPING LIST
2) Hand Tools
Scalpels
Engraving tools
Electric pencil engraver
Modelling tools
Wooden-handled chisels, various sizes
Wood-carving tools
45
Stonechisels
Sculptor's files, rasps, rifflers
Sharpening stones
Nail punch
Compasss
4) Photographie Equipment
35 mm camra with various lenses and accessories
Various lenses for plate film camra
Plate film camra accessories: flash gun bracket; pistol
grip; mask; sheet film adaptors
Carrying cases
5) Office Equipment
Dye-line plan copier
Photo-copier (with spares) A4 & A3
46
8) Chemicals
Trypsin enzyme
Butylamine
Dimethylforamide
Chlorotene - benzine ring solvent mixture
Fungicide, e.g. DESOGEN
9) Other Materials
Various fillers for stone repair
Silicone release paper
Polyester sheeting, e.g. HOSTAPHAN, MELANEX,
MYLAR
Paper pulp
Japanese mulberry paper
Glasswool
Polyurethane panels
47
SINTESI INFORMAZIONE.ROME
1984