Our Lady of the Rocks is an artificial island, built up gradually over centuries as sailors dropped stones around a small reef to fulfil a vow. The tradition began in 1452, when fishermen found an icon of the Madonna on the rock and, as the story goes, began the long process of building an island around it. The church on top was completed in the 17th century and is still an active place of worship.
Inside, the walls are hung with 2,500 silver votive tablets — ex-votos donated by fishermen and sailors in gratitude for surviving storms and disasters at sea. The collection spans several centuries and is both an extraordinary artistic accumulation and a moving record of lives at risk on the water. The church also holds paintings by Tripo Kokolja, the most notable artist produced by 17th-century Perast. Boats leave from the Perast waterfront throughout the day — a few euros, paid to the boatman.