Herceg Novi (Cyrillic: Херцег Нови,pronounced[xěrtseɡnôviː]) is a town inCoastal region ofMontenegro located at the Western entrance to theBay of Kotor and at the foot of MountOrjen. It is the administrative center of theHerceg Novi Municipality with around 33,000 inhabitants. The town was founded as a fortress in 1382 by the King of Bosnia,Tvrtko I Kotromanić, and named afterSaint Stephen but the name did not stick, instead it became known as Novi (transl. New), also Castelnuovo in Italian (transl. New Castle). Between 1482 and 1687 it was part of theOttoman Empire and then from 1687 to 1797 theAlbania Veneta of theRepublic of Venice. It was a Catholic bishopric and remains a Latintitular see as Novi. Herceg Novi has had a turbulent past, despite being one of the youngest settlements on theAdriatic. Ahistory of varied occupations has created a blend of diverse and picturesque architectural styles in the city.

Herceg Novi
Town andmunicipality
Clockwise from top: Panorama of Herceg Novi; Forte Mare Fortress; Harbor;Kanli Kula Amphitheatre; View from Forte Mare Fortress; View fromŽvinje
Flag Coat of arms
Herceg Novi Location within Montenegro Show map of Montenegro Herceg Novi Herceg Novi (Balkans) Show map of Balkans
Coordinates:42°27′10.62″N18°31′52.33″E / 42.4529500°N 18.5312028°E /42.4529500; 18.5312028
Country	Montenegro
Region	Coastal
Municipality	Herceg Novi
Founded as Sveti Stefan	1382
Settlements	27
Government
• Type	Mayor-Assembly
• Mayor	Stevan Katić (DCG)
Area
• Town andmunicipality	235 km2 (91 sq mi)
Population  (2011 census)[1]
• Rank	3rd in Montenegro
• Density	140/km2 (400/sq mi)
• Urban	19,536
• Rural	11,328
• Municipality	30,864
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	85340
Area code	+382 31
ISO 3166-2 code	ME-08
Car plates	HN
Website	www.hercegnovi.me

Tvrtko I of Bosnia founded the town and named it afterSaint Stephen, the name that from the beginning gave way to a nameNovi, which literally translates to "New", as in Newtown; also known asCastelnuovo in Italian,New Castle in English. Later town came toKosača possession and become their winter seat. During this era, the town was renamed again by addingStjepan's titleherceg (Serbo-Croatian pronunciation of Germanherzog) to the nameNovi, which gave it the current name ofHerceg Novi.^[2]

InSerbo-Croatian, the town is known asHerceg Novi or Херцег Нови; inItalian asCastelnuovo; and inGreek asNeòkastron (Νεοκαστρον), Turkish as Kala-i Novi, all meaning 'new castle'. The name Herceg Novi, in its modern form, was first mentioned in a Turkish document in 1726.^[3]

Archeological findings from the Luštica peninsula and the Vranjaj cavern imply that the area was populated during theNeolithic and earlyBronze Age. In the 3rd century BC, after their victory over theIllyrians, the area was ruled by theRoman Republic. After the split of theRoman Empire, the area fell under the rule of theWestern Roman Empire. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the area was dominated by theByzantine Empire. Slavic tribes began inhabiting these lands during the 7th century AD. During these times the small settlement was part of Byzantine-heldDračevica district, which in turn later belonged to the Principality ofTravunija. During the 10th century, Dračevica came under the control of various Dioclean/Zetan dukes, who were in turn incorporated intoKingdom of Serbia ruled by theNemanjić dynasty. After the death of EmperorStefan Dušan, the Serbian Empire began to fracture into smaller principalities and districts, with Dračevica being administered by dukeVojislav Vojinović. After the rulership of Vojinović, the area, along with most of modern Montenegro, came under the rule of theBalšić noble family.

Bosnia could not make economical use ofBosansko Primorje, as its share of theAdriatic coast from the riverNeretva to theBay of Kotor lacked any major settlements.^[4][5] In the second half of the 14th century area in Bay of Kotor also became part of theKingdom of Bosnia. The Bosnian king,Tvrtko, embroiled in theWar of Chioggia, which erupted between the old-time rivalRepublics of Venice andGenoa in 1378 will, as a result, find himself pressured by the circumstances of failure to seizeKotor, the damage to the Bosnian economy from the Ragusan embargo, and the need for easy access to maritime trade.^[6][7] This and the fact that Bosansko Primorje had no significant port led Tvrtko to found the youngest medieval town on the eastern Adriatic coast.^[8] In early 1382, Tvrtko constructed a new fortress in the Bay of Kotor on the place of a small fishing village and decided that it should form the basis of a newsalt trading center. Initially named afterSaint Stephen, the city immediately came to be known as Novi (meaning "new").^[8]

After the death of Tvrtko, DukeSandalj Hranić of the Hum lords,Kosačas, acquiredNovi. During his reign, the town picked up trading salt. When Hranić died, his nephew, DukeStjepan Vukčić Kosača inherited it. During his reign, the town grew in importance and became Stjepan's winter seat, getting a new name in the process: Herceg Novi.

TheOttomans conquered Herceg Novi before 14 December 1481, and ruled for 200 years. The Ottomans built Kanli Tower on the upper edge of the city. However, there was a short pause between 1538 and 1539 when it was held by the Spaniards before they were defeated in theSiege of Castelnuovo. In their brief overlordship, the Spanish built a Hispaniola fort above the city that is well-preserved today.Evliya Çelebi visits the Bay of Kotor and mentions Croats, Bosnians and Albanians (Arnauts) who live in the Herceg Novi.^[9]

In 1608 an earthquake struck Herceg Novi and devastated it.^[10]

In 1687, the city wascaptured by theRepublic of Venice underGirolamo Corner, and included it intoAlbania Veneta, an administrative unit on the territory of present-day coastal Montenegro. In Venice, the city was known as Castelnuovo. The Venetians refortified the old town walls and towers and reinforced the fortress with a Citadella tower (destroyed in an earthquake in 1979). On 24 August 1798, Herceg Novi was annexed by HabsburgAustria but was then ceded to Russia as per theTreaty of Pressburg on 26 December 1805. The Russians officially occupied Herceg Novi between 28 February 1806 and 12 August 1807.

On 7 July 1807, Herceg Novi was ceded toNapoleon I Bonaparte'sFrench Empire as per theTreaty of Tilsit. Official French rule over Herceg Novi began on 12 August 1807, when the Russians left the city. The city was part of Dalmatia until 14 October 1809, when it was annexed to the newly createdIllyrian Provinces.

Herceg Novi, as well as the rest of the Bay of Kotor, was overtaken by Montenegrin forces in 1813. It was under control of a temporary government based in Dobrota between 11 September 1813 and 10 June 1814, which was supported byMontenegro. The appearance of Austrian forces in 1814 caused thePrince-Bishop of Montenegro to turn over the territory to Austrian administration on 11 June. After Herceg Novi was retaken, as well as the rest of the bay, it became part of theDalmatian crownland. The bay was under Austro-Hungarian control until 1918.

In 1900, the two names ERZEG NOVI and CASTELNUOVO PRESSO CATTARO were used in bilingual cancellations.^[11]

TheKingdom of Montenegro attempted to retake the Bay of Kotor duringWorld War I, it was bombarded fromLovćen, but by 1916 Austria-Hungary defeated Montenegro.

On 7 November 1918, the Serbian Army entered the bay and were greeted by the people as Slavic liberators. The bay later became a part of the self-proclaimedState of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs. Within a month, this region united with Serbia as part of theKingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, renamed to Yugoslavia in 1929. The bay was a municipality ofDalmatia until it was, like all historic entities, abolished in 1922. It was incorporated into the Zeta Oblast (province), from 1929 styleZeta Banate.

Herceg Novi was annexed by Mussolini's fascist Italy duringWorld War II in 1941. It became a part of the province of Cattaro.

Herceg Novi was later retaken byYugoslav Partisan forces on 10 September 1943. Within Tito's Communist reformedYugoslavia, Herceg Novi became part of thePeople's Republic of Montenegro.

On 8 April 1970, following theUSSR vs. Rest of the World 'Match of the Century' hosted inBelgrade, Yugoslavia, a blitzchess tournament was held in Herceg Novi, featuring four World Champions, the field was considered the strongest of any blitz tournament in modern chess history.

It once was aCatholic bishopric, but no residential incumbent data are available.

In 1933 the diocese was nominally restored by establishing in theLatin Church of theCatholic Church atitular bishopric of Novi (inDalmatia), listed assuffragan of theArchdiocese of Doclea (which inClassical times controlled its region in theRoman province ofDalmatia Superior).

The following individuals held the titular bishopric. They were eitherauxiliary bishops or officials of theVatican:

• Abel Costas Montaño (1968.11.11 – 1974.12.11), asAuxiliary Bishop of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Cochabamba (Bolivia) (1968.11.11 – 1974.12.11); later Bishop ofTarija (Bolivia) (1974.12.11 – retired 1995.10.20); died 2015
• Alfred Gonti Pius Datubara,Capuchin Franciscans (O.F.M. Cap.) (1975.04.05 – 1976.05.24) asAuxiliary Bishop of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Medan (Indonesia) (1975.04.05 – 1976.05.24); succeeded later as Metropolitan Archbishop of above Medan (1976.05.24 – retired 2009.02.12)
• Juan Ignacio Larrea Holguín (1983.08.05 – 1988.03.25) as lastMilitary Vicar of theMilitary Vicariate of Ecuador (Ecuador) (1983.08.05 – 1986.07.21) and firstMilitary Ordinary ofEcuador (1986.07.21 – 1989.12.07); laterCoadjutor Archbishop ofGuayaquil (Ecuador) (1988.03.25 – 1989.12.07), succeeding as Metropolitan Archbishop of Guayaquil (1989.12.07 – retired 2003.05.07), died 2006; previously Titular Bishop ofCellæ in Proconsulari (1969.05.17 – 1980.06.28) as Auxiliary Bishop ofQuito (Ecuador) (1969.05.17 – 1980.06.28?), Bishop ofIbarra (Ecuador) (1980.06.28 – 1983.08.05)
• Jan Lebeda (1988.05.19 – 1991.11.05) as Auxiliary Bishop of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Praha (Prague,Czechoslovakia) (1988.05.19 – death 1991.11.05)
• Titular Archbishop: Ernesto Maria Fiore (1991.12.16 – 2001.10.30), while Dean ofTribunal of the Roman Rota (1985.06.06 – 1993.07.02) and on emeritate; previously Prelate Auditor of Roman Rota (1960.06.23 – 1985.06.06)
• Odilo Pedro Scherer (2001.11.28 – death 2007.03.21) as Auxiliary Bishop of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of São Paulo (Brazil) (2001.11.28 – 2007.03.21) and Secretary General ofNational Conference of Bishops of Brazil (2003–2007); later succeeded as Metropolitan Archbishop of São Paulo (2007.03.21 – ...)
• Carmelo Cuttitta (2007.05.28 – 2015.10.07) as Auxiliary Bishop of theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Palermo (Sicily, Italy) (2007.05.28 – 2015.10.07); later Bishop of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Ragusa (Italy) (2015.10.07 – ...)
• Titular ArchbishopPaul Fitzpatrick Russell (2016.03.19 – ...) as papal diplomat:Apostolic Nuncio (ambassador) toTurkey (2016.03.19 – ...); Apostolic Nuncio toTurkmenistan (2016.03.19 – ...); and Apostolic Nuncio toAzerbaijan (2017.04.07 – ...). TheApostolic Nunciature for all three countries is located inAnkara. Previously, he waschargé d'affaires (head of mission) of theApostolic Nunciature to China, based inTaiwan (2008.05.02 – 2016.03.19).

The Herceg Novi municipality stretches fromPrevlaka to the Verige strait. An almost unbroken string of towns lie along this strip of coast, accommodating the municipality's 30,864 (2011 census) residents.^[13]

Source: Statistical Office of Montenegro - MONSTAT, Census 2011^[14]

Source: Statistical Office of Montenegro - MONSTAT, Census 2011^[15]

Herceg Novi is a major Montenegrin tourist destination. It is well known as aspa and health center; nearby Igalo has an abundance ofhealing sea mud called "igaljsko blato" (Igalo mud) and mineral springs called "igaljske slatine" (Igalo springs). The most famous tourist attractions in Herceg Novi are castle Forte Mare built by the Bosnian kingTvrtko I in 1382, a clock tower built by Austrians in the 19th century, the Kanli tower built by Turks. Other famous attractions include the various ancientSerbian Orthodox churches and monasteries, which include the Church of St. Ilija, the Church of Preobraženja, the Church of St. Đorđa, the Church of the Holy Salvation (St. Spas), the Church of St. Archangel Michael, and theSavina Monastery.

Whilst the city itself is not a major destination forsunbathing, with no long sandybeaches along the rest of the Bay of Kotor, many beaches are reachable byboat. Tourist companies organise one-day boat trips toLuštica peninsula, which lies opposite to the town. PopularLuštica peninsula beach sites includeŽanjic,Mirište andRose. Herceg Novi accounted for one-third of overnight stays in Montenegro before theYugoslav wars, but the situation has changed since in favour ofBudva,Kotor and other resorts.^{[citation needed]}

Local bus station will charge doubtfully legal fee of €2 for entering its platform with printed e-ticket.

"JUK Herceg-Fest"This cultural events center was established on 24 February 1992. Two years later the cultural center joined with the "Orijen" movie distribution and production company. Together they have played a crucial role in enhancing the city's cultural life. Among many annual festivities are the mimosa celebration, local theatrical events, and a film and music fest.

"TheOperosa Opera Festival" takes place during the summer in theKanli Kula amphitheater inside the fortress of Stari Grad (Old Town) and in the Forte Mare fortress.

The Herceg Novi City Archive was returned in 1956 the Archive to Herceg Novi after being temporarily relocated toZadar, Croatia. The Archive was relocated to Zadar by Italians during theSecond World War. The original archive building, built in 1885, suffered severe damage from the 1979 earthquake. Shortly afterward, the building was renovated. Today, the Archive is 700 m² (7,535 sq ft) in size. The Archive features modern equipment and a library open to the public. The oldest document in the Archive originated in 1685. The library contains approximately 30,000 volumes and 1,000 periodicals.

TheHistorical Museum was established in 1949 and officially opened in 1953. The museum building, a gift to the city from the former mayor, Mirko Komnenović (1870–1941), and his wife Olga, is at least 150 years old.

TheCity library contains at least 30,000 volumes. Among the contributors to this collection are Dušan Petković (5,000 books), Veljka Radojević (1,500), Doklestić, Daljev, Lučić, Subotić and others.

Herceg Novi or Igalo is usually the final destination of buses that come from inland Montenegro andSerbia. TheAdriatic Motorway, a two-lane motorway that extends for the length of the Montenegrin coast, goes through Herceg Novi before it merges with the Croatian road network at theDebeli Brijeg border crossing.

The ferry operates on the Kamenari – Lepetane line at Verige Strait, eliminating the need to go all the way around Boka Kotorska bay in order to reach Tivat, Kotor, Budva and inland Montenegro.

Tivat Airport is 23 km (14 mi) away (via the ferry). There are regular flights to Belgrade and Zürich, and dozens of charter planes land daily on Tivat airport during the summer season.Dubrovnik Airport in Croatia is some 30 km (19 mi) away, and it maintains regular flights to many European destinations.

The area of the Bay of Kotor has ahumid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification:Cfa) with significantly more rain in the winter than in the summer. Herceg Novi has a specific microclimate, which is a result of southern exposition, proximity to the sea, limestone substratum and mountainous hinterland which prevents the breakthrough of cold air masses.

Herceg Novi has approximately 200 sunny days a year. In July and August there are approximately 11 sunny hours per day.Average annual temperature is 16.2 °C (61.2 °F) (similar to that ofNaples andLisbon). There are frequent slight temperature oscillations; the average daily temperature fluctuation is only 4 °C (7.2 °F). Average temperature from May to September is about 25 °C (77 °F), and the average summer sea temperature is rather high, between 22 and 26 °C (72 and 79 °F).

The annual average precipitation is 1,930 mm (76.0 in). Relative air humidity is at its highest level, 80%, in the fall. Its lowest level, 63%, comes in the summer.

Herceg Novi istwinned with:^[19][20]

• Jovan Vavic – former head coach of theUSC men's and women'swater polo teams

• Ćirković, Sima (1964).Историја средњовековне босанске државе (in Serbo-Croatian). Srpska književna zadruga.
• Ćirković, Sima (1964a).Сугуби венац: прилог историји краљевства у Босни (in Serbo-Croatian). University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy.{{cite book}}:|work= ignored (help)
• Vasić, Milan (2005).Naselja na Balkanskom Poluostrvu od XVI do XVIII Vijeka (in Serbian). Banja Luka: Narodna I Univerzitetska Biblioteka Republike Srpske.ISBN 99938-0-584-X.
• Vego, Marko (1957).Naselja bosanske srednjevjekovne države [Settlements of the Bosnian medieval state] (in Serbo-Croatian). Sarajevo: Svjetlost.

• Official website of Herceg Novi municipality
• GCatholic – (titular) bishopric
• City Port Herceg Novi