Summary
In 1691, the people of Kotor erected a monument honoring Governor Pietro Duodo as “the best and most just guardian of peace and public happiness.” On November 21, 1944, anti-fascists liberated the city, but in April 1945, revolutionary zeal led them to destroy the statue that had stood for 254 years. The pedestal still bears Latin inscriptions praising Duodo’s vigilance, justice, and contributions to public happiness. The statue was thrown into the sea, but the marble coat of arms survived and is now kept in Kotor’s Lapidarium (St. Michael’s Church). The empty pedestal remains in the Bizanti Palace courtyard.
1691 – The people of Kotor erected a monument for Governor Pietro Duodo, “the best and most just guardian of peace and public happiness.” November 21, 1944 – The anti-fascists liberated Kotor. April 1945 – The same “liberators,” in the midst of revolutionary zeal, decided to “liberate” the city from the statue that had stood there and kept watch for 254 years.
What was written on the monument?
The pedestal still bears Latin inscriptions praising Duodo as:
- “The best and most extraordinary just providur”
- “The most vigilant protector of peace and tranquility”
- “Creator of public happiness”
What remains of it today and where is it?
The statue was brutally destroyed into pieces in 1945 and thrown into the sea off the coast. Nevertheless, something survived: The empty pedestal with the above inscriptions still stands in the courtyard of the Bizanti Palace in the Old Town.
The marble coat of arms, which you can see near his feet in this old photograph, was retrieved from the sea and is now kept in the Kotor Lapidarium (St. Michael’s Church).
References
Tulić, Damir. “Glory Crowned in Marble: Self‑Promotion of Individuals and Families in Seventeenth‑Century Sculpture.” Radovi Instituta za povijest umjetnosti 43 (2019): 139–150. This article discusses the full‑size statue of provveditore Pietro Duodo that once stood in the courtyard of the Bisanti Palace in Kotor and notes that it was destroyed during WWII.
Tomić, Radoslav. “Spomenik providuru Pietru Duodu, Kotor: Dvorište Palače Bisanti (uništeno 1945. godine).” Radovi Instituta za povijest umjetnosti 43 (2019): 191–209. Provides details about the monument to provveditore Pietro Duodo in Kotor and its destruction in 1945.
