The earliest mention of
Rhizon dates back to the 4th century BC, as the main fortress in the
Illyrian state where
Queen Teuta took refuge during the
Illyrian Wars. The degree of
Hellenization at Rhizon was very high. In
Roman times,
Rhizinium is documented as an
oppidum civium Romanorum, and the most prosperous time for Roman
Rhizinium came during the 1st and 2nd centuries, when huge villas were made in the area and the city had 10,000 inhabitants. Five mosaics are the most valuable remains of that period - not only for Risan but also for
Montenegro. Circa 500 it became the see of the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Risano. The invasions of the
Avars and
Slavs left the city deserted. The last reference of a Roman
bishop in Risan dates back to 595. In the 10th century, the
Byzantine emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus includes Risan among the inhabited towns of
Travunia, while the priest of
Doclea considers Rissena to be a district. During the
Middle Ages, Risan lost the significance it used to have in the ancient times. No later than the 13th century, the Italians provided the bulk of a henceforward unbroken series of Latin Catholic Bishops of Risano until its suppression circa 1630. In the mid-15th century, Risan was referred to as a town of
Herceg Stjepan. In 1466, the
Venetians offered to give
Brač island and a palace in
Split to Herceg Stjepan, in exchange for his two towns (Risan and Novi) in the
Boka Kotorska. In 1482, the
Ottomans took Risan, together with
Herceg Novi, from Herceg Stjepan's son Vlatko, using it as a base for its corsairs to pirate Venetian shipping sailing from their nearby holdings of
Cattaro and
Perasto. Only in 1688 did Risan become
Venetian as part of the
Albania Veneta with the Venetian name of
Risano, enjoying a temporary economic growth. In the following centuries Risan has had the same fate as the whole of
Dalmatia. It was for a few years during
World War II part of the
Kingdom of Italy in the Italian
Governatorate of Dalmatia and today it is part of independent
Montenegro. According to the 1627 population census, Risan had 800 citizens. 570 were Muslim, 150 Orthodox and 80 Catholic. == Modern Risan ==