Cetinje, Montenegro

Former French Embassy, Cetinje, Montenegro — August 27, 2024

One of the most unusual and maybe the most beautiful building in Cetinje is the former French embassy. The construction and equipping of the building was carried out in the period 1909 - 1910. Among the inhabitants of Cetinje, it has been a popular legend for a long time that the design of the French embassy, which was realised in Cetin- • je, was actually intended for Cairo and that it got to Cetinje due to a mistake in postal comunication. Nevertheless, this building, as well as the garden and surrounding fence was designed especially for the Montenegrin capital by architect Paul Gaudet. The architectural characteristics of this building are accentuated by outstanding exterior and interior details - multi - coloured ceramic tiling, a decorative facade wreath, a roof with chimnays, beautiful timberwork and metalwork, marble fireplaces... After the departure of the French and at the beginning of the First World War, bank offices operated in the Embassy - firstly the National Bank, which was succeeded by the Serbo - Albanian bank. Today the building is used by the Central National Library »Durad Crnojevic.