Architecture

Architecture

The Serbian architecture had been in the first place and above all marked by a very rich art: the construction of orthodox churches and monasteries. Between the XI and XIV centuries a great number of religious architectural monuments had been constructed in Serbia and Montenegro which could be divided into three groups.

- The Rascia school: mixing the Byzantine style with the Roman influences. This school had been developed in the XII by the dynasty of Nemanjics. The most representative monasteries have been Studenica and Djurdjevi Stupovi constructed at the end of XII century.

- The Serbo-Byzantine style: from the beginning of XIV century has appeared a very impressive architecture reposing on a high degree of the technique and using the Gothic window frames this style could be seen throughout Gracanica and Pec.

- The Morava school: In the XIV century the religious art had been moved to the valley of Morava and of the Danube. This is a more refined architecture combining different stone kinds and playing on the geometrical forms. Ravanica, Resava and Krusedol make a part thereof.

The Austrian influence had appeared in Vojvodina since the XVII century. The baroque churches on Sremski Karlovci and the bourgeois houses in Zemun are witnessing it still today. The best example of this style there is in Subotica with the typically Hungarian Municipal Building. More generally it has no been infrequent to see in Serbia a Catholic church or a public edifice influenced by central Europe.

The modern Serbian architecture appeared in the XIX century with the artist such as Konstantin Jovanovic or Jovan Ilkic. Belgrade had been distinguished then by its mot beautiful jewels such as the Moscow hotel and the Parliament. The most representative from the XIX century Serbian school has been the National Theatre in the very heart of the capital. Its neo-Renaissance style has been distinguished by its brilliant colours and its long-lined perspective. More than ourselves the Serbian architectures had been inspired by the west currents. Stojan Maksimovic, having studied and worked in USA, had brought a very interesting style of glass and iron he had used in the centre of the Congress Centre of “Sava Centar” and the international hotel both in Novi Beograd.