In Montenegrin, Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian, it is known as Cetinje (archaically Цетинѣ / Cetině); in Italian as Cettigne; in Greek as Κετίγνη (Ketígni); in Turkish as Çetince (means toughly); and in Albanian as Cetina.

In Cetinjsko polje, at that time there used to be a small inhabited village, by which the later newly created town got name Cetinje.

He had his court built at the new location that year and also founded a monastery (dedicated to the Mother of Christ) as a personal endowment in 1484.

[6] Crnojević was forced to move the seat of the Eparchy of Zeta from Vranjina to Cetinje due to the Ottoman invasions, in 1485.

Leading the wars of liberation and strengthening the unity in the country occupied Danilo and his successors, so they were unable to devote enough effort to the further development of Cetinje.

[citation needed] Cetinje made great progress under the rule of Prince Nikola I Petrović when numerous public edifices were built.

Ottoman rule over Montenegro did not last much more than a decade however, as 14 years later the "Great War", the third successive contest between the two nations, ended in Montenegrin victory, with most previously-Montenegrin territory returning to their control.

The population census from the same year recorded a massive growth in the world's smallest capital, registering 5,895 inhabitants.

But when it was decided by the Parliament of Montenegro that the administrative organs should be located in Titograd (previously and presently Podgorica), Cetinje went through a harsh crisis.

By building certain industrial sections and at the same time neglecting the development of the city's traditional and potential cultural and tourist capacities, the chance to create a strong basis for more solid prosperity was lost.

When Communist forces captured Cetinje in November 1944 the only population that stayed in the town were people who believed they have no reason to fear or hide from anybody.

[12] On 12 August 2022, a mass shooting occurred in Cetinje, in which eleven people died, including the perpetrator, and six others were injured.

[13][14] On 1 January 2025, another mass spree shooting occurred in Cetinje, in which fourteen people, including the perpetrator, were killed and three others were injured.

The prijestonica of Cetinje is divided into two urban settlements: Cetinje and Rijeka Crnojevića, and 92 rural settlements: Bajice, Barjamovica, Bijele Poljane, Bjeloši, Bobija, Boguti, Bokovo, Češljari, Čevo, Dide, Dobrska Župa, Dobrsko Selo, Dodoši, Donja Zaljut, Donje Selo, Dragomi Do, Drušići, Dubovik, Dubovo, Dugi Do, Dujeva, Đalci, Đinovići, Erakovići, Gađi, Gornja Zaljut, Gornji Ceklin, Grab, Gradina, Građani, Izvori, Jankovići, Jezer, Kobilji Do, Kopito, Kosijeri, Kranji Do, Kućišta, Lastva, Lipa, Lješev Stub, Majstori, Malošin Do, Markovina, Meterizi, Mikulići, Milijevići, Mužovići, Njeguši, Obzovica, Očinići, Oćevići, Ožegovice, Pačarađe, Pejovići, Petrov Do, Poda, Podbukovica, Prediš, Prekornica, Prentin Do, Prevlaka, Proseni Do, Radomir, Raičevići, Resna, Riječani, Rokoči, Rvaši, Ržani Do, Smokovci, Šinđon, Štitari, Tomići, Trešnjevo, Trnjine, Uba, Ubli, Ublice, Ugnji, Ulići, Velestovo, Vignjevići, Vojkovići, Vrba, Vrela, Vuči Do, Zabrđe, Začir, Zagora, Žabljak Crnojevića and Žanjev Do.

Source: Statistical Office of Montenegro – MONSTAT, Census 2011[20] After the decades of stagnation, the new city government began a lot of projects with the intention to revitalise the infrastructure, business and to gain a higher promotion of Cetinje in cultural, touristic and other parts.

Some of that projects were the reconstruction of Cetinje Historical Core (Main Street – Njegoševa, Main Town Square, Students' Square), Beautiful Cetinje (first energy-efficiency project in Montenegro), reconstruction of the City Market, valorisation of Lipa Cave, renovation of the first hospital building in Montenegro, building a completely new utilities system, construction of a new main road at the entrance to the town, the largest fine arts university complex in the region etc.

To promote Cetinje as not only cultural and artist capital of Montenegro but the whole region too, during 2012 and 2013 the city government organized events in which participated globally famous artists such as Pierce Brosnan, Marina Abramović, Gerard Depardieu, Nicholas Lyndhurst and Rem Koolhaas, who were guests of Cetinje during that period.

[citation needed] Previously there was a railway line from Cetinje to Bar along the banks of Lake Skadar, which transported both passengers and cargo.

All these institutions keep, process, and provide public access to enormous literary treasure, and protect both mobile and immobile cultural monuments throughout Montenegro.

However, these five centuries comprise the whole history of a people, who, through the development of city recorded moments of their origin, ascent, stagnation and downs.

In fact, since the 1870s, for almost fifty years, there was, in the urban context, designed and typological characteristic areas formed with urban-type residential home ground floors and multi-storey houses with developed attics, created and developed in closed urban blocks, in a street – house – garden layout.

Between the two world wars, characterized by the loss of Montenegrin statehood and noticeable stagnation of the architectural development of the city, Cetinje continues the tradition of formed, then already traditional type of urban residential houses and closed urban blocks, but they built the first modern multi-storey residential buildings for collective housing, and modern public institutions necessary for the then social life.

So the second half of the nineteenth century in the development of Cetinje marked a period of state power and its pursuit of European culture and international recognition.

The recognition of Montenegro as an independent state, at the Berlin Congress in 1878, on the basis of which it greatly expanded, began a period of rapid creation of a national, economic, social, cultural, societal and spatial superstructure which caused an increase of economic power and the reorganization and improvement of the state apparatus and the authorities.

During this period, Cetinje, as the old royal capital, gained even greater national and international significance and experienced rapid socio–economic, institutional, and urban development.

Since their foundation to the present day, Cetinje printing houses have published over 3,000 books, a major contribution to the Montenegrin cultural heritage.

Its founder is Prince Nikola Petrović, great-grandson to King Nikola I. Cetinje has a number of attractions, including Cetinje Monastery, Vlaška church (built in 1450, with its fence made out of barrels of captured enemy rifles), Biljarda, several museums, Zetski dom royal theatre and historic foreign embassies.

Apart from the surrounding natural environment of beech, oak and linden tree forests, there is a unique freshness of Lovćen national park.

In the past few years there has been a plan of enlisting the old historic core of the city of Cetinje as a UNESCO world heritage site.

During the decades, especially from 80's until today, Lovćen became most successful Montenegrin men's handball club, but the most trophied team from Old Royal Capital Cetinje.