Serbian Monasteries

The monasteries of Serbia, built largely in the Middle Ages, are one of the most valuable and visible traces of medieval Serbia's association with the Byzantium and the Orthodox World, but also with the Romanic (Western) Europe that Serbia had close ties with back in middle ages.

[photos by Father Alexander]

[chant from Kovilj Monastery]

  

Studenica Monastery
Studenica is the mother-church of all Serbian churches. The first part of it was built in 1196 by the order of Stefan Nemanja. Under the guardianship of his son Sava (later canonized as a saint) it became the political, cultural, and spiritual center of Medieval Serbia. The architecture of Studenica is a blend of Romanesque and Byzantine, and the monastery contains religious relics, frescoes, and mosaics. It is sacred to St. Sava, the patron saint of Serbia. Studenica has been designated by the United Nations Education and Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as one of the great works of art in the world.

In 1207, St Sava decided to remain in Serbia and to evangelize his countrymen, who were only nominally Christian. Choosing the monastery of Studenica as his center, he employed the services of the other monks who had traveled back to Hilandar [on Mt Athos in Greece] with him to engage in pastoral and missionary work. To facilitate their labors, he established a number of smaller monasteries strategically located. Meantime, despite his more active career, he built for himself in the Studencia neighborhood a hermitage to which he could retire from time to time for monastic peace.  

St. Sava's hermitage (skete) near Studenica

Gradac

The Monastery of Gradac, built in the second half of the 13th century, is an endowment of Helen of Anjou, the wife of King Uros I.

 
Church of the Theotokos
   
CRNA REKA MONASTERY

Crna Reka monastery is a hermitage in the midst of the south Serbian mountains situated in the gorge of the Black River. It is surrounded by high rocks and lush vegetation. It dates from 13th century when a small church dedicated to the Holy Archangel Michael was built in a big cave. Soon the monks hermits built their cells around the church and erected a small draw bridge over the dry bed of the Black River. By a great blessing of God the river disappears underground just in front of the monastery and reappears after several hundred meters of its underground flow and thus spares the monastery from the noise. The greatest treasure of the monastery are the holy and incorruptible relics of St. Peter of Korisha, a famous Serbian ascetic from the 13th century.

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