MOSAIC

Just four kilometers from Morinj lies Risan, an ancient city steeped in epic fantasy. Once, an Illyrian pirate stronghold ruled by Queen Teuta, a historical but also mythical figure whose pirates dominated the Mediterranean. She belonged to the Illyrian “tribe of snakes”; she was endowed with “supernatural” beauty and great political talent. The Romans were eager to fight her dominance and conquered the town. Legend has it that Teuta jumped into the abyss from the cliffs above the city on a night of raging storm, but her body was never found, nor was the treasure her pirates hid in Risan. One of her lovers, the Roman captain Antonio, moored his ship in front of Morinj planning to visit Teuta in secret. The ship sank in the same storm that claimed Teuta. The ship was never found either. Legend has it that on stormy nights you can see the ship rising on the top of waves with its cursed lovers on the deck. Do we need to mention that the mystery of the lost treasure has been intriging adventurers for centuries? Risan was a Roman polis and a summer residence of magnates. Today, it houses numerous significant excavations with artifacts.