Studenica Monastery

A half-hour drive from the Maglič Fortress is the Studenica Monastery, the jewel in the crown of the Valley of the Kings. It is a World Heritage Site, built at the end of the 12th century (1196) by Stefan Nemanja I, the founder of the Serbian dynasty. The monastery is the most important, largest, and richest of the monasteries in Serbia, serving as its spiritual center. The Rules of St. Sava – Studenica Typicon were written here, as well as the Book on the Life of Stefan Nemanja, which describes the history of the dynasty’s founder and life in medieval Serbia. Saint Sava brought painters from Constantinople to decorate the church with frescoes, painted in a grandiose style with rich colours and larger-than-life figures. In 1230, King Radoslav added a large narthex (entrance hall) to the main church, and in the late 13th century, King Milutin built another small church in the courtyard, later decorated with magnificent frescoes.

The monastery is still active today and serves as a place of pilgrimage. The main building is made of marble and was constructed with the help of Dubrovnik stonemasons. The secondary church, built by Milutin, is also made of marble. The entrance to the main church features a gate topped by a beautiful statue of the Mother of God with two angels on either side. The arch of the entrance gate is adorned with mythological creatures resembling griffins. Surrounding the churches is a circular monastery complex that forms part of an 18th-century wall, giving it the appearance of a fortress, like other Serbian monasteries. Among the monastery buildings is a refectory for monks, founded by Saint Sava, and an ancient bell tower.

The monastery is located at the foot of the beautiful, forested Golija Mountains, and a few kilometers away, there are secluded monastic cells hidden among the cliffs.

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