EXPEDITIO was a member of the working team that conducted a “Conservation study of the built heritage of Kostanjica”. The study was ordered by the Municipality of Kotor and it will be used for the purpose of amending and supplementing a detailed urban plan of Kostanjica. The Faculty of Architecture in Podgorica was in charge of conducting the study. The working team was lead by Ilija Lalosevic, docent Ph. D., B.Sc. Arch. Eng., and it consisted of Jelena Franovic, B. Sc. Landscape architect, as well as Aleksandra Kapetanovic, B. Sc. Arch. Eng. and Biljana Gligoric, B. Sc. Arch. Eng. from EXPEDITIO. The settlement of Kostanjica is situated in the Bay of Boka Kotorska, within the Cultural-Historical and Natural Region of Kotor, which has been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site List since 1979. The greatest value of Kostanjica is its preserved cultural landscape characterized by unique chestnut and laurel forests, sloping terrace gardens with arable land and orchards (which were, as early as the 15th century, covered with vineyards belonging to St George Abbey and Perast families) and the ensembles of traditional architecture set into the landscape. Such distinctive cultural landscape makes the identity of Kostanjica, contributing to the diversity and wealth of the Boka Kotorska area.
Until now, the area of Kostanjica has been spared from uncontrolled construction. It is the right moment to draw up a good plan, which will enable development, preserving at the same time the character of Kostanjica and its cultural landscape.
Uncontrolled and inadequate development can permanently destroy the value not only of Kostanjica, but also of the whole UNESCO protected area. From this reason, it is necessary to integrate the principles of cultural landscape protection in development policies and planning process. Conservation studies of the built heritage of individual settlements within the protected area, in this case Kostanjica, contribute to the protection of the whole area, as well as to preserving and enhancing its universal values.