| Lovćen | |
|---|---|
| Ловћен | |
 Štirovnik, the highest peak of Lovćen | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,749 m (5,738 ft) |
| Coordinates | 42°23′57″N18°49′06″E / 42.3991°N 18.8184°E /42.3991; 18.8184 |
| Geography | |
  Lovćen Location in Montenegro | |
| Location | Montenegro |
Lovćen (Montenegrin Cyrillic:Ловћен,pronounced[lôːʋtɕen]) is a mountain andnational park in southwesternMontenegro. It is the inspiration behind the namesMontenegro andCrna Gora, both of which mean 'Black Mountain' and refer to the appearance of Mount Lovćen when covered in dense forests.[1]The nameCrna Gora was first mentioned in a charter issued byStefan Milutin in 1276[1] and was used for several regions across medieval Serbian lands, includingSkopska Crna Gora andUžička Crna Gora.
Mount Lovćen rises from the borders of theAdriatic basin, closing the long and twisting bays ofBoka Kotorska and making the hinterland to the coastal town ofKotor. The mountain has two imposing peaks,Štirovnik; 1,749 m (5,738 ft) andJezerski vrh; 1,657 m (5,436 ft).
The mountain slopes are rocky, with numerous fissures, pits and deep depressions giving its scenery a specific look. This is akarst landscape carved fromlimestone anddolomite.[2] Lovćen stands on the border between two completely different natural wholes, the sea and the mainland, and so it is under the influence of both climates. The specific connection of the life conditions has caused the development of the different biological systems. There are 1,158 plant species on Lovćen, two of which are endemic to Montenegro :Taraxacum validum andCardamine montenegrina (List of endemic species of Montenegro).[citation needed]
The national park encompasses the central and the highest part of the mountain massif and covers an area of 62.20 km2 (24.02 sq mi). It was proclaimed a national park in 1952. Besides Lovćen's natural features, the significant historical, cultural and architectural heritage of the area are protected by the national park.
The area has numerous elements of national construction. The old houses and villageguvna are authentic as well as the cottages inkatuns, summer settlements of cattlebreeders.
A particular architectural relic worth mentioning is the road, winding uphill fromKotor to the village ofNjeguši, the birthplace of Montenegro's royal family, theHouse of Petrović.
Upon the outbreak ofWorld War I, Montenegro was the first nation to come toSerbia's aid, andNicholas I of Montenegro ordered his army, on August 8, 1914, to commence operations against the Austro-Hungarian naval base in theBay of Kotor, the Austro-HungarianKriegsmarine's southernmost base in theAdriatic. It was just across the border from Mount Lovćen where the army had placed several batteries of artillery, and on the same day, Montenegrin guns commenced firing on Austro-Hungarian fortifications. The forts of Kotor and the old armoured cruiserSMSKaiser Karl VI returned the fire, aided by reconnaissance from navy seaplanes. However, on September 13, Austrian-Hungarian reinforcements arrived fromPola, in the form of three active pre-dreadnought battleships, theSMSMonarch,SMSWien, andSMSBudapest. They outgunned the Montenegrins, who nevertheless put up a fight for several weeks, with artillery duels almost daily.
With the entry ofFrance into the war, the French realised that the capture of Kotor might be beneficial to their own navy and so landed an artillery detachment of four 15 cm (5.9 in) and four 12 cm (4.7 in) naval guns under the command of Capitaine de frégate Grellier, atAntivari, on September 18–19. It took Grellier a month to move his guns inland but eventually his batteries were set up and positioned in fortifications on the south side of Mount Lovćen.
On October 19, the French guns opened fire. The Austro-Hungarians called for reinforcements and on October 21, AdmiralAnton Haus despatched the modern battleshipSMSRadetzky. With a broadside of four 30.5 cm (12.0 in) guns and four 24 cm (9.4 in) guns, theRadetzky would tip the balance. Naval seaplanes had been busy taking photographs and mapping accurate positions, and at 16:27, on October 22, the battleships all opened fire.Radetzky made a number of direct hits on the guns and fortified positions on the mountain and on October 24, one of the French 12 cm (4.7 in) guns was completely knocked out.
On October 26, theRadetzky opened fire before sunrise, catching the French and Montenegrins offguard, and a number of batteries and fortifications were destroyed in heavy bombardment, including another French 12 cm (4.7 in) gun. By 10:00, Allied firing from Mount Lovćen had ceased. The following day theRadetzky repositioned closer to the shore and blasted the Allied positions further. Grellier conceded defeat and pulled out his remaining saveable guns. Likewise, the Montenegrins abandoned their fortifications. By November, the French High Command decided to give up its campaign to neutralize and capture Cattaro, and theRadetzky returned to Pola on December 16.[3]
In early January 1916, the Austro-Hungarian armylaunched an offensive into Montenegro, and the battleshipBudapest was again used to assist the troops against Lovćen's renewed defences to such good effect that on the 10th, the Austro-Hungarian troops took the Lovćen Pass and the adjacent heights, where the French guns had previously been. The bombardment of Mount Lovćen played a decisive role in breaking the morale of the defenders of the mountain, and the Montenegrins requested anarmistice two days later.[3]
The biggest and most important monument of Lovćen national park isPetar Petrović Njegoš'sMausoleum constructed in 1971. The location for his burial place and the mausoleum at the summit ofJezerski vrh was chosen by Njegoš himself as his last wish.
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