Tito came to Igalo in 1975 to be treated for rheumatism in the old and then only part of the “Dr Simo Milošević” Institute. The therapies significantly improved his health, so it was decided to use it for further treatment and as a summer residence. Josip Broz, built the villa "Galeb", one of 33 built for marshals in the former Yugoslavia, the story Obrad Radonić, while taking a group of journalists, guests of the Institute, on a tour of the famous Tito's villa.
The story of Tito's villa is not just a story about an architect's building Milorad Petijević from Herceg Novi, a man who designed, among other things, the "late", as Radonić said, the "Tamaris" hotel, as well as the Health Center in Herceg Novi, but also to a time, a state that no longer exists, a man who was the life president of a great Yugoslavia.
Tito's villa in Igalo covers an area of 5.520 square meters and is surrounded by a park that covers an area of about 75.000 square meters. The entire complex, built on the Đurđevo brdo site, was completed in six months, and the aforementioned location was chosen because of its specific microclimate - a mix of sea and mountain air, proximity to mineral water springs, deposits of medicinal mud and a unique view of the Bay of Kotor.
Tito stayed at the villa four times, the first time on January 25, 1977, and the last time in 1979, he would stay for a month or two, and during that time "Galeb" was not only his rehabilitation center, but also the center of socio-political meetings that he had with numerous world statesmen. And not only with them.
"Many world statesmen of the time and other famous public figures stayed at the 'Galeb' villa, such as the Algerian president Houari Boumediene and the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Sirimavo Airportnaike, but also the prince CharlesHowever, the first foreign guest was not a statesman, but a Mexican pianist. Henrik Sering who held a concert there for Tito and his guests," says Radonić, who has been working as a guide at the villa for nine years.
Yugoslavia in miniature and the "intruder" from Brazil
The first room that greeted us was the congress hall, which still contains 51 armchairs that were intended for members of the then Federal Executive Council, which once sat there. The congress hall also had a cinema projector so that Tito could watch films, mostly westerns, which he loved the most.
Tito liked to spend his free time in the so-called fireplace room, and in the dining room, which was intended for him and his guests, there is still a tapestry he made. Jagoda Buić, a world-famous artist from Split, who lived and worked in Dubrovnik, and died in 2022 in Venice.
The presidential suite has two parts - blue for Tito, pink for Jovanka, and there are also ten rooms for their entourage, as well as three suites for guests or senior members of the Government.
"Tito's bedroom was also his study. His adjutant, Tihomir Vilovic"He had a room next to Tito's apartment, but if he had to spend a longer period of time with Tito, he could also use the bed in Tito's room for rest. There is a medical oxygen system and connectors in all bedrooms and bathrooms," explains Radonić.
Tito's bathroom, which is an integral part of the presidential suite, is a story in itself. It is the most luxurious part of the villa, and its luxury is given by blue marble, the only naturally blue granite that can only be found in Brazil. Only two slabs can be made from one cubic meter. Brazilian blue marble is the most expensive material used to build the villa, but also the only "foreign intruder", because everything else in the villa is from Yugoslavia. Each republic gave the best it has, so the villa is Yugoslavia in miniature. The white stone that is paved in the entrance area is the famous Brač stone, and stone from the same quarry was also used in part of the construction of the White House in Washington. One type of marble is from Serbia, the bars are from Slovenia, the carpets are from Macedonia, some of the luxury furniture is from Slovenia and some from Bosnia and Herzegovina...
“Scottish shower” only for the marshal
After the accommodation facilities, there is the part for which the villa was built - the therapeutic part, where you can find all the therapies that are also available at the "Dr Simo Milošević" Institute, with one exception - the so-called "Scottish shower".
"The Scottish shower works on the principle of alternating hot and cold water under pressure. Tito used it the most because of poor circulation in his legs. The tubs, which are used for various therapies, are German-made, and the pool is a special story - it is 25 meters long, 8 meters wide, and two meters deep. It was filled with natural, sea or mineral water and has a platform for regulating the water level," says the guide.
He also shows a massage table that was delivered the day before Tito's first arrival.
Staring at the fish - the only task
The lowest level of the building houses a nuclear shelter and a special aquarium that is used to control the quality of the water in the villa.
"Seven days before Tito's arrival, they brought a special type of fish from the Far East that lives only in absolutely clean water and is sensitive to even the smallest amount of dirt. If something like that happened, it would die and fall on a sensor that would activate an electric valve, at which point the water flow to the villa would automatically stop, and a sound signal would be emitted from the loudspeaker. In case the equipment failed, there was a security guard there whose sole job was to watch the fish."
The technique never failed, but the fish never died either.
The atomic shelter, which was built solely for radiation protection, has 36 beds, a separate ventilation system, chemical, dry toilets, a separate exit hatch...
"During Tito's time, the villa had about 40 workers who made sure it was fully ready at all times."
Tito is gone, but neither are the workers who would take care of the villa. And, at least, the hygienists are sorely needed. Not to mention the other workers.
Almost intact in a devastating earthquake
Jovanka, Radonić says, stayed at the villa only once, during their first visit in January 1977. Tito was last at the villa on April 15, 1979.
"He happened to be in Herceg Novi at the time of the earthquake and did not want to be evacuated, but asked for a tent to be erected next to the villa. The villa hardly felt the earthquake - a few broken windows and a damaged chimney. A few hours after the earthquake, Tito visited the shipyard in Bijela, and it was not possible to go further than Kamenari. The next day he traveled to Belgrade."
Since Tito's death in 1980, the villa was closed to visitors until 2007. It has been operating as an exhibition space since 2014, and a historic event took place there in 1991.
“After Tito's death, one of the most important meetings was on September 17, 1991, when the presidents of the former Yugoslav republics and the Army General Veljko Kadijevic met with the lord Carrington "in order to make a last-ditch attempt to reduce tensions and the outbreak of war in the former Yugoslavia," says Radonić.
The meeting yielded no results, and the consequences of the war are known...
The villa still attracts tourists, and in the summer, Radonić says, three weekly tours are organized, while in the off-season there is only one.
"As for visitors, 50 percent come from all over the former Yugoslavia, and the other 50 percent from the rest of the world. Politicians, for the most part, don't come. That's outdated for them. One book of impressions is for one season. When it comes to visitors, there are various anecdotes. A month ago, a Dutchman asked me if Slobodan Milosevic was a descendant of Tito. I also remember that when the Chinese signed the guest book, I searched for a translation on Google Translate. They wrote: "Don't forget this history."
When palm trees "grow" overnight
There are many anecdotes related to Tito and his stay at the "Galeb" villa. For example, he once "escaped" from his security guards, who later found him in a family house in Igalo, drinking brandy with the host.
Because of Tito, the palm trees "grew" overnight. When he arrived at the villa in January 1977, he went out onto the balcony to enjoy the view - flowers in the colors of the Yugoslav flag were planted along the entire length of the building, and in the corner were two newly planted palm trees that were knee-high. Tito was delighted with the flowers, but the palm trees, being so short, looked ridiculous to him. That's what he said. In the morning, when he went out onto the balcony again, the scene was different - instead of the newly planted palm trees, in the corner were two large palm trees that, after his comment, they managed to find, transport and transplant during the night.
They say that Tito followed a ritual even in the villa - regardless of the therapies, he was in the office every morning at exactly seven o'clock. Once he showed up 15 minutes late, and at that very moment several journalists were waiting for him. When one journalist joked that he was late, he jokingly replied:
"I'm not late, I was on break."
Made in Yugoslavia
Since August last year, the villa has also housed a permanent exhibition called “Yugo logo”. It is an exhibition of around 450 logos of former Yugoslav companies and brands, which, in their own way, tell the story of the socio-political context that marked the emergence, rise and end of Yugoslavia. It is a research project launched in 2019 by Belgrade graphic designer Ognjen Ranković.
Bonus video:
