jadran u fokusu / adriatic in focus
na, Španaca, Turaka. Jer je prelepi Stari grad jedan od najstarijih na celom ja- dranskom priobalju i već 2.500 godina svedoči o mnogim civilizacijama – Ili- rima, Rimljanima, Otomanima, Venecijancima... I sama arhitektura govori o osvajačima, sa jedne strane otomanska, sa druge venecijanska. U vreme Tura- ka i Mlečana, Ulcinj je bio fizička granica, pa se sva diplomatska komunikaci- ja među zvaničnicima i špijunima vodila u Starom gradu. No, pre svega, Ulcinj je, kao što rekoh, bio grad pirata. Oni su odlazili na Sredozemlje, donosili plen i dovodili robove. Glavni trg Starog grada i danas zovu Trg robova jer se baš na tom mestu vršila kupoprodaja. Među zaroblje- nicima je, navodno, jednog dana 1575. godine stigao i tada 28-godišnji Servan- tes, koji je zarobljen kad su ulcinjski pirati osvojili španski brod kod Korzike. Pet godina proveo je u Ulcinju i postao veoma omiljen među lokalcima jer je po celu noć nešto zapisivao (navodno Don Kihota), a po ceo dan pevao špan- ske serenade. Pratila ga je zaljubljena mlada devojka, koju je, nakon što je nje- gov otac prodao imanje i platio otkup, poveo u Španiju. Zvala se Dulsineja, baš kao Don Kihotova muza, baš kao Ulcinjanka (staro ima Ulcinja je Dulči- no). Možda jeste, možda nije, tek Servantesa smatraju ulcinjskim zetom, pa su mu i spomenik podigli u Starom gradu. I nije tu samo Servantes,
ovaj je grad prepun legendi o moćnim, strašnim pirati- ma i zaljubljenim gospama, pun ljubaznih ljudi koji će vas počastiti sladoledom, da se osvežite u vrelom danu, iako ste samo prolaznik i ni- kada vas nisu videli. Ne mo- gu da verujem da sam toliko puta bila u Crnoj Gori, a ni- sam dolazila u Ulcinj. Ali ve- rujem da je ovo početak jed- nog divnog prijateljstva… – Illyrians, Romans, Ottomans, Venetians... The architecture it- self speaks of its conquerors – Ottoman on the one side and Venetian on the other. At the time of the Ottomans and the Venetians, Ulcinj was a physical border, so all diplomatic com- munication between officials and spies was conducted in the Old Town. However, as I said, Ulcinj was primarily a city of pirates.
Spomenik Migelu de
Servantesu u Starom gradu
Monument
to Miguel de Cervantes in the Old Town
They sailed out to the Mediterranean and brought back booty, but also slaves. The main square of Ulcinj Old Town is today called the Square of Slaves, because it was on that very spot that sales were carried out. Allegedly arriving among the prisoners one day in 1575 was a then-28-year-old Cervantes, who was captured when pirates from Ulcinj cap- tured a Spanish ship near Corsica. He spent five years in Ulcinj and became very popu- lar among locals, because he would spend all his nights writing something (purported- ly Don Quixote) and his days singing Spanish serenades. He was followed by a besotted young girl, who he took back to Spin after his father sold an estate and paid the ransom. She was called Dulcinea, just like Don Quixote’s muse, just like a woman from Ulcinj (Ul- cinj was formerly known as Dulčino). Perhaps it is so and perhaps not, but the people of Ulcinj consider Cervantes a son-in-law of their city, which is why they erected a monu- ment to him in the Old Town. And Cervantes isn’t the only one – this city is full of legends of powerful, terrible pi- rates and ladies in love; and full of kindly people who will treat you to an ice cream that will refresh on a hot day, even though you’re just a passerby they’ve never seen before. I can’t believe that I’ve been to Montenegro so many times and I’ve never previously been to Ulcinj. I believe this is the beginning of the beautiful friendship...
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