History
Monastery tower
The White Angel.
Realistic fresco of
St. Sava, painted during his lifetime.
The Mileševa monastery was founded between 1234 and 1236 by Serbian King Vladislav. The monastery is situated in a valley of the Mileševa river, near Prijepolje. Mileševa is one of the most important Serbian sanctuaries and spiritual centers. In 1236, Vladislav moved the relics of his uncle Saint Sava from Trnovo in Bulgaria, where he died, to Mileševa. Some historians believe that the coronation of King Tvrtko I of Bosnia took place in Mileševa. In the 15th century, the monastery was the seat of the Metropolitanate of Dabar-Bosnia. In 1459, the Ottomans set the monastery on fire, but it was soon restored. In the first half of the 16th century, the first service books were illuminated in the Mileševa printing house. One of the oldest schools also existed in the monastery. In the middle of the century, during the time of Patriarch Makarije (the Serbian Patriarchate was restored in 1557), the monastery was thoroughly renovated. Its external narthex was built and painted, and probably cut through the wall between the narthex and the nave. In later times, after several Turkish demolitions, a new restoration was undertaken in 1863, when the church considerably changed in appearance.
The Mileševa monastery has been visited by pilgrims and donated to by Russian Emperors (Ivan IV Vasilyevich) and Wallachian and Moldavian rulers. In 1594, the Ottomans removed the relics of St. Sava from the monastery and publicly burned them on Vračar hill in Belgrade, making him thus a posthumous martyr.
Mileševa was declared Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1979, and it is protected by Republic of Serbia.
Architecture
The Church, dedicated to the Ascension of Our Lord, architecturally belongs to the Raška school. Its ground plan is unique. Its single nave widens from the west eastward, so that the eastern bay is omitted completely, which results in the three altar apses leaning directly on the domed east wall. Inside, the dome is raised on several arches in a stairway-like arrangement. The narthex was added in 1236 upon which, during a 19th-century restoration, a dome was constructed on top.
Art
The first group of frescoes were produced in the 1230s. The other groups include works from the Ottoman period, to be found in the exonarthex. These thirteenth-century frescoes may be considered to be the supreme achievement of all the painting in Europe of that time. The portraiture deals with bishops (altar space), warrior saints and martyrs (nave), as well as monks (narthex). The upper registers in the narthex represent Christ's earthly life. Below the resurrection composition on the south wall of the west bay, King Vladislav is depicted as being led to Christ by the Mother of God. The Nemanjić family is portrayed in the northeastern part of the narthex: Stefan Nemanja as the monk Simeon, Sava as the first archbishop, Stefan the First-Crowned as king, and his sons Radoslav and Vladislav. The frescoes in the narthex and the adjacent chapel were presumably painted in the 1230s and 1240s. They illustrate the last Judgment and the lives of some saints. In the second half of the sixteenth century, the church was repainted with a new layer of frescoes of which only fragments of the Last Supper under the dome and the Forty Martyrs in the north choir have survived. These frescoes were damaged in a fire, but they happened to save (acting as a protective layer) the earlier and more valuable paintings from the 13th century.
Sources
- Kandić, Olivera; et al. (1995). Manastir Mileševa (PDF). Republički zavod za zaštitu spomenika kulture.
External links
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Archaeological Sites | | |
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Cultural Monuments |
- St. Achillius Church
- Mramorje
- Belgrade Fortress
- Princess Ljubica's Residence
- Dositej's Lyceum
- Captain Miša's Mansion
- Belgrade Cathedral
- Museum of 4 July
- Illegal Partisan Printing Houses
- Prince Miloš's Residence
- Prohor Pčinjski
- Pokajnica
- Golubac Fortress
- Takovo Museum
- Manasija
- Tabula Traiana and Trajan's Bridge
- Old Parliament and Court
- House of Svetozar Marković
- Sobrašice
- Žiča
- Studenica monastery
- Maglič
- Stolice
- Lazarica with Kruševac Fortress
- St. Nicholas Monastery
- Holy Mother of God Church, Kuršumlija
- Lazarevac Memorial Ossuary
- Cer Memorial Ossuary
- Vuk Karadžić's birth house
- Ljubovija Memorial Ossuary
- Lepenski Vir
- Stefan Lazarević Memorial
- Hajduk Veljko's Powder Magazine
- Early Byzantine Tomb with Frescoes
- Skull Tower
- Niš concentration camp
- Đurđevi stupovi
- St. Peter's Church, Ras
- Sopoćani
- Stari Ras
- Old House, Pirot
- Banja Monastery
- Mileševa
- Partisan Hospital, Prijepolje
- Gornja Dobrinja
- Gradac monastery
- Kalenić monastery
- Smederevo fortress
- Museum of 1941 Upraising
- Partisan printing house "Borba"
- Headquarters of the Main People's Liberation Comity of Serbia
- Plant nursery, Užice
- Kadinjača
- Stari Han
- Karađorđe's Topola with Oplenac
- Ljubostinja
- Ravanica
- House of Dimitrije Tucović
- Wine cellar, Atenica
- Memorial chapel with the crypt, Prnjavor
- Wooden Church, Dub
- Sirogojno Old Village
- Partisan Hospital, Krčagovo
- Monument to the Unknown Hero
- Memorial Rooms in Prohor Pčinjski
- Bođani monastery
- Franciscan Church, Bač
- Dunđerski Palace
- Neštin House
- Bački Petrovac House
- Beočin monastery
- Rakovac monastery
- Šlajz
- Bishop's palace, Vršac
- Mesić monastery
- Vojinović Bridge
- Medieval palace of Vučitrn
- Monastery of Saint Barbara
- Wooden house of Lođani
- Hadum mosque
- Serbian Orthodox Church in Čurug
- Church of St. Nicholas, Stari Slankamen
- Velika Remeta monastery
- Vrdnik-Ravanica
- Grgeteg monastery
- Jazak monastery
- Krušedol monastery
- Mala Remeta monastery
- Novo Hopovo monastery
- Staro Hopovo monastery
- Presentation of Jesus Church, Krušedol Selo
- Gorioč monastery
- Bogorodica Hvostanska
- Church of St. John, Crkolez
- Church of St. Nicholas, Đurakovac
- Church of St. Nicholas, Kikinda
- Suvača
- Serbian Orthodox Church in Mokrin
- Churches in White Drin valley
- Romanian Orthodox Church in Uzdin
- Holy Thetokos Church, Vaganeš
- Ubožac Monastery
- Presentation of Mary Church, Lipljan
- Arača
- Almaška Church
- Dormition Church, Novi Sad
- Novo Brdo Fortress
- Church of St. Nicholas and St. John, Velika Hoča
- Vojlovica monastery
- Transfiguration Church, Pančevo
- Transfiguration Church, Budisavci
- Bajrakli Mosque
- Church of St. Jeremiah, Goraždevac
- Warehouses of Karlovčić
- Church of St. Luke, Kupinovo
- Ogar House
- Orthodox Church in Sibač
- Kaljaja Fortress
- Monastery and Hermitage of St. Peter of Koriša
- Church of the Holy Saviour, Prizren
- Church of St. Nicholas, Prizren
- Churches of Sredačka Župa
- Sinan Pasha Mosque
- Hammam of Prizren
- Imperial Mosque
- Church of St. John, Sombor
- Devič
- Divša monastery
- Kuveždin monastery
- Petkovica monastery
- Šišatovac monastery
- Old Church of St. Stephen, Šišatovac
- Patriarchate of Karlovci
- Cathedral of Saint Nicholas, Sremski Karlovci
- Warehouses of Golubinci
- Subotica Synagogue
- Subotica City Hall
- Svrčin
- Church of the Virgin Hodegetria, Mušutište
- St. George Church, Rečani
- Roman Catholic Church in Čoka
- Orthodox Church in Vilovo
- Zvečan Fortress
- The Protection of the Mother of God Church in Boljetin
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- Privina Glava monastery
- Orthodox Church in Molovin
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- Gračanica monastery
- Visoki Dečani
- Bogorodica Ljeviška
- Patriarchate of Peć
- Banjska monastery
- Terzijski Bridge
- Miloš Obrenović's House
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Historic Landmarks | |
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Spatial Cultural-Historical Units | |
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| Patriarchs (since 1346) |
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1346–1463 | |
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1557–1766 | |
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since 1920 | |
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| Heads of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the Habsburg Monarchy (1690–1920) |
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1831–1920 |
- Melentije Pavlović
- Petar Jovanović
- Mihailo Jovanović
- Teodosije Mraović
- Inokentije Pavlović
- Dimitrije Pavlović
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Serbia |
- Church of Saint Sava
- St. Michael's Cathedral
- St. George, Banovo Brdo
- Ružica
- St. Mark's Church, Belgrade
- St. Basil of Ostrog
- Church of the Ascension, Belgrade
- St. Achillius, Arilje
- Peter's Church, Ras
- St. Mark's Church, Užice
- Cave Church, Lukovo
- Štava Church
- Odžaklija
- Kađenica
- Lazarica Church
- Church of St. George, Lukovo
- Church of Holy Ascension, Krupanj
- Saint George's Cathedral (Novi Sad)
- the Assumption, Zrenjanin
- Our Lady of Ljeviš*
- Cathedral of Saint George, Prizren
- Church of the Virgin Hodegetria*
- Church of St. Elijah, Podujevo*
- Church of St. Nicholas, Prizren*
- Mala Gospojina Church*
- Church of Christ the Saviour, Pristina*
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Montenegro | |
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Bosnia and Herzegovina | |
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Croatia |
- Church of the Holy Venerable Mother Parascheva
- Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Trpinja
- Church of St. Nicholas, Vukovar
- Church of Pentecost, Vinkovci
- Church of St. George, Kneževo
- Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin, Negoslavci
- Church of Pentecost, Markušica
- Church of St. George, Bobota
- Church of St. Stephen, Borovo
- Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, Srijemske Laze
- Church of St. Peter and Paul, Bolman
- Church of St. Stefan Štiljanović, Karanac
- Church of St. Nicholas, Mirkovci
- Church of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, Gaboš
- Church of St. Nicholas, Jagodnjak
- Church of St. Demetrius, Dalj
- Church of St. George, Tovarnik
- Church of St. Nicholas, Pačetin
- Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, Zagreb
- Church of St. George, Grubišno Polje
- Church of St. Nicholas, Karlovac
- Church of Saint Parascheva, Slabinja
- Church of the Nativity of the Virgin, Drežnica
- Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul, Štikada
- Church of St. George, Varaždin
- Church of the Holy Annunciation, Dubrovnik
- Orthodox Church in Knin
- Church of St. Peter and Paul, Tepljuh
- St. Spyridon Church, Peroj
- Church of St. Nicholas, Rijeka
- Church of St. Nicholas, Vrlika
- Orthodox church of Holy Salvation, Cetina
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United Kingdom | |
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United States | |
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Other countries |
- St. Archangel Michael Serbian Orthodox Church (Toronto), Canada
- Sts. Cyril and Methodius Church, Slovenia
- Serbian Church in Arad, Romania
- St. Sava Church, Paris, France
- Saint Spyridon Church, Trieste, Italy
- Annunciation Church, Szentendre, Hungary
- Transfiguration Church, Szentendre, Hungary
- Saint Sava Serbian Orthodox Church, Stockholm, Sweden
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Notes | * indicate churches in Kosovo, which is the subject of a territorial dispute between Serbia and Kosovo. |
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Coordinates: 43°23′24″N 19°39′41″E / 43.39°N 19.6614°E / 43.39; 19.6614