Seeming to emerge from the water, the church is a magnificent and mystical vision. The small island on which it stands, however, is man-made. The discovery of an icon of the Virgin Mary washed up on a reef convinced the population to build a shrine here. Dating from the 17C, its blue dome from the 18C, it currently houses many works of art. The inhabitants of Perast continue to consolidate the island every year on 22 July, during the celebration dedicated to it.