The monasteries represent an important historical and cultural inheritance of Serbia. Built between the XII and the XVII century, they have shaped not only the landscape of the orthodox Serbia, but they represent the reliable medieval architectural and painting witnesses. From Fruska Gora in the north until Kosovo in the south, these sacral monuments have been since always the guardians of the Serbian culture. For their cultural and historical importance, five monasteries were classified with the world inheritance of UNESCO: Studenica, Stari Ras, Sopocani, Djurdjevi Stupovi and Decani.
At the end of the XII century, Stefan Nemanja had succeeded to form the State centralized around Raska - now Kosmet- and had built many monasteries, Studenica the most important among them. His successors at the head of the Serbian State would, each of them, construct at least one monastery in order to show the splendour of their actions: the most famous are Zica, Gracanica Decani, Sopocani or Krussedol.
Today, these monasteries attract the tourists from all over the world who come to admire their extraordinary architecture, frescos, icons and manuscripts. During the XIII and the XIV century, the construction of these monasteries was influenced by two schools of architecture. In South Serbia, it was the school of Raska (Studenica, Decani, Mileseva, Sopocani, Arilje), in Central Serbia the school of Morava (Ravanica, Lazarica, Ljubostinja, Kalenic).
However, the reputation of all these monasteries would not be so important in Europe without their wall decorations. The frescos and the murals, which cover walls of all of these monasteries, win you right away by the beauty and spirituality that they release. Orthodox religious painting represents one of the most important heritage richness of Serbia.
Come and discover their secrets!
