Description of the attraction
Studenitsa is a male Orthodox monastery located on the banks of the river of the same name, about 40 kilometers from the town of Kraljevo. It is considered one of the largest and most influential Orthodox monasteries in Serbia. The monastery is dedicated to the feast of the Assumption of the Virgin.
The monastery was founded at the end of the 12th century by King Stefan Nemaney as a zaduzhbina - this was the name of monasteries or churches that were built at the expense of influential people to save their souls (“for the soul”). Studenica is the third monastery in Serbia, built by order of Nemanja. After his death, the remains were placed in this monastery.
The monastery was built with the participation of the best Serbian architects of that time. On the territory of the monastery, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin was erected. It was built in the tradition of Byzantine architecture, from white marble, and was decorated with frescoes. The construction of the Assumption Church was carried out from 1183 to 1195, this building was recognized as the most beautiful and for a long time served as a model for the construction of other religious buildings. The frescoes on the walls of this church were applied later, at the beginning of the 13th century, not by Stefan Nemaney himself, but by his heirs. The masters who created these paintings remained unknown, but their works are still recognized as the best in the genre of fresco painting of the Serbian Middle Ages. Another wealth of Studenice was the library with numerous manuscripts.
Over the past centuries, work was constantly going on in Studenice - restoration after the raids of the Turks or construction during periods of comparative calm. By the 17th century, more than a dozen churches stood on the territory of the monastery, but to date, only three have survived - the Assumption, St. Nicholas and the Royal Church, also called the Church of Joachim and Anna and built by King Milutin at the beginning of the 14th century.
Monastery Studenica has been included in the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1986.
