Skip to content
VitrineRoyal Houses of Europe
Sign in

Princess Marica of Montenegro

1869–1885

Born
29 Mar 1869, Cetinje
Country of birth
Principality of Montenegro, today Montenegro
Died
7 Jul 1885, Saint Petersburg
facts
8
sources
1
images and files
0

Facts and their sources

Tap a fact to see where it comes from.

A life in time

  1. Born · Cetinje

    Birth, Cetinje

  2. Died · Saint Petersburg

    Death, Saint Petersburg

What was it like?

The world around Cetinje, 1869: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Princess was born around the same time as Marie Dressler, Franz Lehár, and George Arliss.

Born around the same time

  • Marie Dressler

    1868 · Canadian-American actress (1868-1934)

  • Franz Lehár

    1870 · Komárom-born Austrian music composer (1870–1948)

  • George Arliss

    1868 · English actor, author, playwright and filmmaker (1868–1946)

  • Pompeu Fabra

    1868 · Catalan linguist (1868–1948)

  • Maxim Gorky

    1868 · Russian and Soviet writer (1868–1936)

  • Nicholas II of Russia

    1868 · 14th and last Emperor of Russia (1894–1917)

Fashion

The iconic red Montenegrin cap

Men wore a distinct red cap called a kapa, which featured gold embroidery; during this period, it was common to decorate the top with the initials of the local tribe or the ruler.

Weapons as essential male clothing

Montenegrin men considered themselves naked without their weapons, routinely carrying guns, a yatagan knife, and a long rifle even while engaged in peaceful tasks.

Music

Gusle: The Monochord of Montenegrin Epic Poetry

The gusle, a single-stringed instrument played with a horsehair bow, was the most important traditional instrument for accompanying epic poetry and historical songs. Musicians often improvised lyrics at home or during festivities, with the instrument being passed from person to person.

The Traditional Oro Dance Accompanied by Song

People danced the oro, a group dance often performed at home or in meadows, accompanied only by singing or the rhythm of footwork rather than instrumental music. Dancers were frequently motivated by improvised songs that changed according to the circumstances and the energy of the participants.

Getting around

Antivari to Virpazar by carriage

A journey by carriage between Antivari and Virpazar took five to six hours, depending on the horses' strength and road conditions.

Podgoritza to Kolashin trek

Traveling between Podgoritza and Kolashin was a journey of sixteen hours, though it was recommended to split this into two easier days. Travelers often hired a local youth and a pony for the trip, navigating trackless mountain wilderness.

Daily life

Living without clocks or modern furniture

Standard furniture was sparse, featuring wooden stools, a simple table, and a raised wooden bench for sleeping covered with blankets or the traditional struccha plaid. Lacking clocks or watches, families determined time by watching the sun, using hour-glasses, or occasional sundials.

Oral education and the gusle tradition

Formal schooling was rare and often held in contempt, as traditional education relied on oral history shared by elders around the hearth. Lessons were learned through heroic ballads and playing the gusle, which were considered essential for maintaining honor and family values.

Food

Bread as a sacred staple food

Bread was the primary foodstuff and was so cherished that it was used in solemn oaths. It was commonly baked from rye, barley, wheat, buckwheat, or corn.

Drinks from trees and skins

In arid regions, people drank tree sap like birch and beech juice, obtained by scraping the inner bark of young trees to quench their thirst. Rakija was produced in small, primitive stills and stored in sheep or goat skin bags.

Prices and wages

Definition of wealth in Montenegro

A person was considered wealthy in Montenegro if their annual income reached 400 gulden.

Dietary habits of the population

Meat was considered a luxury, consumed only by the wealthy, while the rest of the population had a very poor diet.

Work

Cooperative Work: The Moba Custom

Communities utilized the moba, a custom where neighbors gathered to complete urgent tasks like plowing or harvesting, for which the host provided a celebratory feast including meat and drinks rather than monetary payment. Younger participants often used these gatherings as social events, dressing in their best clothes to dance and sing late into the night.

Division of Labor: Women and Men

Women performed the majority of manual labor, including field work, building construction, and transporting heavy goods like firewood and water on their backs. Men frequently focused on animal husbandry and military-related roles, often viewing physical manual labor as beneath them.

News and letters
Around 1877–1877

A human telegraph in 1877

In 1877, a courier named Milutin Babović earned the nickname Telegraph after running 131 kilometers from Rijeka Crnojevića to Andrijevica in a single day to deliver a message.

Letters delivered by private couriers

Before a formal public postal system was established, individuals like the postman Špiro Martinović were appointed to carry letters, and letters were often delivered by private couriers.

During their lifetime

  1. 1870

    First telegraphic connection established

    The first telegraphic connection between Montenegro and the rest of the world was established in Kotor.

  2. 1871

    Danilovgrad town founded

    Prince Nicholas founded the town of Danilovgrad on the Zeta river.

  3. 1874

    Universal Military Service Law

    The 1874 Universal Military Service law reduced mandatory military service from twenty-five years to six years for all social classes.

  4. 1878

    Montenegro recognized as independent state

    Following the Congress of Berlin, Montenegro gained international diplomatic recognition and significant territorial expansion.

Family

Parents

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.