Jovo Ivanovic Modern Gallery

About

Budva City Museum offers a compact yet surprisingly rich journey through the town’s long history, stretching from ancient Illyrian settlements to the Venetian era and beyond. Housed in a restored stone building within the Old Town, the museum stands on layers of archaeology—Roman mosaics and early Christian remains were uncovered just meters away, reminding visitors that Budva has been continuously inhabited for more than 2,500 years. Inside, the museum’s most intriguing pieces come from the Roman necropolis, discovered in the 1930s. Jewellery, glass vessels, and finely crafted ceramics reveal Budva’s role as a coastal trading hub. The Illyrian weapons and ornaments offer a glimpse into the region’s earliest cultures, while medieval documents and seals trace Budva’s transition under Byzantine and Venetian influence. A highlight is the collection of ancient amphorae, once used to transport wine and oil across the Adriatic. The upper floors present Budva’s cultural life through traditional costumes, maritime tools, and early photographs that capture the town before modern tourism transformed it.

Budva Montenegro

Location

The Jovo Ivanović Modern Gallery sits in a historic stone building in Budva’s Old Town and carries the name of the local painter who founded it back in 1972. Jovo Ivanović, a Mediterranean-spirited artist known for his expressive, often dreamlike works full of boats, fish and the Adriatic light, ran the place for decades and left a lasting mark on the town’s cultural life. The gallery was officially renamed in his honour in 2018. Inside you’ll find a carefully gathered collection of nearly 470 works spread across five groups: contemporary expressionists, Montenegrin artists, foreign painters, naïve art and local creators. Look out for pieces by major Montenegrin names such as Petar Lubarda, Milo Milunović and Vojo Stanić, alongside works by international artists who exhibited here over the years. Paintings, drawings, watercolours, prints and sculptures fill the two exhibition halls, mixing bold colour, gestural energy and quieter, more introspective pieces. The gallery also regularly stages temporary shows of contemporary artists from Montenegro and further afield, so the walls keep changing. Entry is free, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the historic setting of the Old Town makes it an easy, rewarding stop for anyone curious about modern art with a strong local flavour.