Studenica monastery

The Studenica Monastery ( Manastir Studenica Serbian / Манастир Студеница ) is regarded as the cradle of the Serbian kingdom. In 1986, the medieval monastery was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

History

In a forested mountain west of the boiler to today's Opština Kraljevo belonging resort Ušće located, the monastery was extremely important since its inception in the late 12th century and was once the most prosperous of all Serbian monasteries. In the heyday of the very large area covered approximately a dozen churches and palaces and offered within the monastery walls a few hundred people place. Serbia was in the early Middle Ages between two great power blocs, the Frankish West and the Byzantine East. This forced the Serbian authorities to skillful political maneuvering. In a time of weakening Byzantine Empire succeeded Stefan Nemanja, to a Serbian tribes into a Serbian state. His son, who became known as the Saint Sava, stood before the first archbishop of the new Serbian Orthodox Church, which became the pillars of the young Serbian state. Stefan Nemanja, who abdicated six years after the founding of a monastery in favor of his second son Stefan Prvovenčani, went as a monk Simeon of Mount Athos in the monastery Hilandar. He was buried, however, in Studenica monastery.

Churches in the monastery

Three churches and the refectory ( dining room) are still preserved on the surrounded by a circular wall monastery grounds.

Mother of God Church

Center of the complex is the single-nave church of Our Lady, which has a dodecagonal dome over the crossing and many other Serbian churches served as a model in their design. The rich decoration of portals, windows and consoles reminiscent of the Western European Romanesque and can be found in this lushness of Serbian churches rather rare. The artistically less significant outer vestibule, which was designed under Stefan Nemanja grandson, King Stefan Radoslav, with frescoes, a little obscured the beautiful late Romanesque western portal, which is decorated with an enthroned Madonna in the arch as well as lions and griffins. The interior of the church is covered with murals that come from three different eras. The oldest frescoes from the early 13th century are only partially preserved, but are among the most valuable works of the century. Probably worked here a Greek painter from Byzantium, who could not apply the complicated mosaic art of the great Byzantine churches, but a good substitute found with his " painted mosaics ". The monumental Crucifixion scene on the west wall, in a festive gold and azure, exudes sublime greatness; it is the masterpiece of this unknown artist. The most recent paintings in the chancel and in the ship - they show the death of Mary and the monastery founder Stefan Nemanja - emerged in the latter half of the 16th century, when the Ottomans ruled Serbia.

King Church

The King's Church, a small Serbian- Byzantine dome, looks much more modest beside the great Mother of God Church. King Stefan Uroš II Milutin had it built as one of his numerous foundations that are scattered from Serbia via Thessaloniki and Mount Athos to the Holy Land. The two court painter Michael Euthychios and decorated the church almost entirely with frescoes depicting the life of Mary, which are among the most successful and most harmonious of the Serbian frescoes. The murals are well-preserved small format, full of details and act cheerful and serene as true to life: particularly the graceful maidens on the north wall are designed to participate in the introduction of Mary in the Temple. On the south wall to check the temperature of the bath water for the son of Mary.

Nicholas Church

The representation of the entry into Jerusalem and women on the west wall at the grave of Christ: Finally monastery complex also includes built of rubble Nicholas Church, whose resulting in 1220 frescoes have been preserved only sporadically

Frescoes

In addition to the large-scale frescoes of the Mother of God Church and the realistic depiction of the crucifixion of Christ by the Greek painter Michael Astrapes performed for King Milutin in the King Church frescoes of the Renaissance Palailogischen important.