With threads of patience to Europe

Dobrota lacemaking was on the verge of extinction, and then the “Patient” initiative was launched in 2021. Today, five years later, not only has the tradition continued and the skill been revived, but the project has also brought Kotor and Montenegro the renowned European “Europa Nostra” award, a prestigious recognition for excellence in the preservation of cultural heritage awarded by the European Commission and the “Europa Nostra” organization.

The winning projects were selected by a jury of ten cultural heritage experts from across Europe, from a total of 261 applications received from 40 European countries. The award went to 30 outstanding projects from 18 countries, including “Patient” by the Kotor “Museums”, in the “Education, Training and Skills” category.

“'Patient' revived the almost extinct tradition of making Dobrota lace in Montenegro through practical training under the guidance of the last recognized guardian of this art (Nadežde Radović, op. nov.). Over the course of three years, more than 50 women have mastered this skill, while public presentations and lace products have contributed to its sustainability,” states the statement of the Public Institution “Museums” Kotor signed by Jelena Vukasovic, chief editor of the program.

The jury, which met in Brussels and The Hague, stated that "The Patient" transformed a home craft into a shared cultural event that strengthens social life and supports the economic empowerment of women.

“Through lacemaking, it promotes patience as a social and cultural value, protects a fragile element of intangible heritage, and connects a small local tradition with a wider audience,” noted renowned European experts.

For centuries, Dobrota lace has been a significant part of the cultural heritage of the Bay of Kotor and a recognizable expression of religious life, testifying to the creativity and skill of generations of women, the statement said. It came from Venice and Dalmatia to Dobrota and Boka Kotorska and became special due to the method of production - the needle technique is used. Dobrota lace was declared an intangible cultural heritage in 2013, as a cultural asset and skill that has been passed down from generation to generation since the 12th century.

"However, at the beginning of the 21st century, it survived mainly in private collections and church treasuries," recalls Vukasović.

And then, as the last recognized bearer of the art of making Dobrota lace, the Ministry of Culture and Media (MKM) of Montenegro officially identified a keeper, born in 1937 - Nadežda Radović.

"I was alone for many years, more than 50 years... You could say, one human life. When they invited me to come to the Solidarity Gallery, you can imagine how I felt - I've been waiting for 58 years, I learned it, I have to pass it on, let others know what a treasure lives in Boka Kotorska," Radović said.

Dobrota lace making workshops began in 2022 under her leadership, together with museum experts. By 2025, more than 50 women of different generations had successfully completed the training and mastered the basic techniques of making. The program was free and open to all interested parties, both from Kotor, Boka Bay, and all of Montenegro. The “Museums” of Kotor thus launched a program that combined historical research with practical training.

"Embroidery in this area dates back to the 14th century, and by the 16th century, Dobrota lace had developed as a local interpretation of the Venetian 'punto in aria' technique. It was used to make ritual scarves, widow's caps, altar covers and wedding veils. Valuable examples are today kept in churches, such as the Church of St. Eustachius in Dobrota and St. Nicholas in Perast, but also in family heirlooms of this region," Vukasović explains in a statement.

You could talk about Dobrota lace for days and never say everything, lacemaker Radović points out, continuing to describe the motifs, but also the act of making it.

"Everything we received as designs, as patterns of Dobrota lace, was taken from here, from this beautiful space of ours. And the window, its frames, the door, the staircase, the appearance of the palace, everything that was on them as decoration, could be used... Garden flowers, field flowers, the moon, the sun, the stars, the ship..., everything - everything can be a design of Dobrota lace. For one centimeter of full Dobrota embroidery, it takes four to six hours," says Radović.

The very name of the project “Patient” refers to patience, and refers to both the slow and precise process of making lace, and the value of perseverance. The woman who made the lace was rich in feeling, adds Radović.

"That wealth of feeling is expressed through every stitch. If you do one piece, you're done, you'll be captivated by lace. Here, I'm 88 years old and I'm still working. I enjoy working and I enjoy passing on everything I know, so that they know. About 60 women have gone through the lace school, the Kotor Museum's OJU. Lace goes on. Lace lives," says Nadežda Radović.

The project promotes patience as an important human and cultural value in the age of accelerated digital life, Vukasović points out. All of this is additionally brought closer to the public, not only through training, but also through exhibitions and presentations.

"Installations in the squares of Kotor, where vertical displays of lace were accompanied by live demonstrations of making, made this process visible to a wider audience. Of particular importance is the new presentation of Dobrota lace as a conceptual step forward from the previous practices of presenting lace as handmade - now it is not lying on a velvet display case in a museum, but upright on pedestals in the open space of the city square. With this program, lace has gone among the people, to meet them and remind them of one of the treasures of our city and people," Vukasović said in a statement.

The participants of the “Patient” project represented Montenegro and beyond at lace festivals in Croatia, reconnecting this tradition with the wider Adriatic context, and last year, the International Council of Museums ICOM included “Patient” among 130 exceptional projects from 60 countries around the world that competed for this organization’s highest recognition, highlighting the creativity, diversity, and dedication of the global museum community. In addition, “Museums” Kotor has also developed a line of souvenirs inspired by the historical motifs of Dobrota lace.

"These products are recognized as one of the leading cultural souvenirs in the Balkans and generate income that is used to further develop training programs. In this way, the project contributes to the preservation of skills, the economic empowerment of women and raising awareness of the value of local tradition," says Vukasović.

She adds that the total budget of the project, for the last three years, is around 15.000 euros. “Patient” was mainly funded by the “Museums” of Kotor, with a smaller contribution from the Ministry of Culture and Media of Montenegro.

Work recognized for its impact on the community and the future of heritage

Montenegro received the Europa Nostra Award once again, in 2002, for the project of conservation and restoration of the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon in Kotor. The Europa Nostra Award is one of the most important European recognitions that promotes excellence and good practices in cultural heritage in Europe, which is of particular importance and incentive for the Kotor public institution.

"Kotor Museums are among this year's winners of this significant recognition, which was awarded to us for our innovative and sustainable approach to the protection of intangible heritage, as well as its promotion in a broader social context. For Kotor Museums, this award represents an important confirmation that our work is internationally recognized and that it has a real impact on the community and the future of the cultural heritage of our city. We thank the Europa Nostra organization, the European Commission and everyone who has supported our work so far," says the director of the Public Institution "Museums" Kotor, Dušica Ivetić.

The awards identify and encourage best practices in the preservation and enhancement of tangible and intangible cultural heritage, and encourage cross-border knowledge exchange across Europe, raising public awareness of our shared cultural heritage.

In addition to those already awarded, voting for the Audience Award is also underway, via the website vote.europanostra.org. The winner also wins a cash prize of 10.000 euros, and the Kotor “Museums” invite everyone who supports and cares about the protection of cultural heritage to get to know this year's winners and vote by May 12th.