At the beginning of the Ulcinj riviera, in the West, in a place called Kruche, there are ruins on a cliff which were supposed to have represented the remains of antique Ulcinj. For the first time these ruins were mentioned as „Stari Ulcinj“ – „Old Ulcinj“ in 1376, whereas in the Venetian historical books they were mentioned as „Dulcigno vecchio“. It was believed that this settlement had sunk during the earthquake in 444 B.C. However, after the archeological research it was proved that in ancient times on this rock – cliff there had been a signal station (specula), and in the middle ages there was a fortress which was used as an observatory by the Ulcinj people. The only remains which could have been preserved from this fortress on the cliff were the walls of the fortification on the North, and inside there were ruins of little houses. A small one-nave church dating back to the XII – XIII century with a grave which had been constructed underground was found on the eastern side of the islet, like a tank dug into the rock. On the whole surface of the cliff there were remains of ceramic dishes from ancient times.
The Mansion Rustica in Kruche
In the bay of Kruche there were also discovered remains of the „Villa Rustica“ actually of big rural houses. Namely, rich noblemen from Ulcinj used to build their residences on this ground on the shore, which was, thanks to its abundant Mediterannean growth and water springs, extremely sanatory for the human body. Nowadays, there are, like in ancient times, huge cultivated olive groves and vineyards. Oil and wine used to be kept in amphoras.
Remains of a mosaic, ceramics and coins from the time of the Byzantine emperors Anastasius, Iustin I and Iustinius I, which had been discovered in Kruche, actually prove the fact that one of the „Villas Rustica“ was built in the VI century A.D. After the Illyrian rampart in the Old Town, it still represents the most precious excavated complex in the area of Ulcinj.