Sremski Karlovci

A town of culture in any sense of the word: in the centre the Serbian orthodox church and the first Serbian lyceum, but also the place where the Treaty of Karlowitz modifying the frontiers of the region had been signed. Sremski Karlovci is also the city of the reputation of the vineyards since Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The inhabitants have been taken specialists for the white wine sorts. These wines have been sold as far as Vienna, Poland and Belgium. Today the “Karlovacki Rizling” has been especially known. In brief, a town not to be missed at all. Adjacent to Fruska Gora, peacefully installed on the Danube bank.

History

Since XIV century there was a castle named “Castella Kara”, the property of many Hungarian families. But in 1521 the castle had been destroyed by Turks who gave it the name of “Karlovci”. The town became celebrated since January 26th 1699 when the Austrians and the Turks had signed there the “Peace of Karlowitz” rejecting Turks definitively from Vojvodina.
Sremski Karlovci thus became a Serbian cultural centre and at the same time the Austrian-Hungarian Empire designated it the residence of Serbian orthodox Patriarch cast out from Kosovo-Metohija 1690. The first theatre play in Serbian language was played in 1733, and in 1791 the first Serbian lyceum outside of Belgrade or Novi Sad had been founded. In XIX century this is the place of encounter of the greatest Serbian men of literature and theologians and Karlovci had the same aspect of a burgh they still have today.

THE TOURIST SITES

The interest of Sremski Karlovci has been in that all important monuments have been concentrated in a limited perimeter around the central square, Trg Branka Radicevica. Only the “Chapel of the Peace” where the Agreement of Karlowitz had been signed in 1699, has been a little distant. We would pay a visit to these cultural monuments by going away from the main road up to the height of a hill.
The entrance is 10 to 30 Dinars for each place.

THE ORTHODOX SEMINARY - In a shadowed park between “Stefaneum” (the school founded in 1904 by the metropolitan Stefan Stratimirovic) and the Patriarchal Residence there has been rising an elegant building in yellow shades and very “central European” has been rising. This is a seminary founded in 1794, which had known its hours of glory in the second half of the XIX century, under Ilarion Ruvarac – the rector, when the Seminary had had a department of the natural sciences of Europe. Today it is still a boarding school. More than 1000 students.

RESIDENCE OF THE PATRIARCH - In front of the hotel “Boheme” on the central square there is this impressive edifice constructed in 1894 in the place of the former Palace of Justice. This edifice involved at the beginning of XX century a library and a gallery created out of the personal collection of Patriarch Arsenije Carnojevic brought from Kosovo. But during the II World War all these riches had been stolen and taken to Zagreb. Today there is only a little part of it in Belgrade in the Museum of the Orthodox Church. The residence of the Patriarch should be visited for its Chapel St. Dimitri where had been displayed the icons from XV to XVIII centuries as well as the portraits of the Patriarchs from XVI and XVII centuries.
Presently the building has been the residence of the bishop of the region of Srem and the summer residence of Serbian orthodox Patriarch.

ORTHODOX CATHEDRAL SABORNA CRKVA - Recognizable by its two belfries of the baroque style overhead by an orthodox cross. The cathedral of Sremski Karlovci has been abundant with the riches of the Serbian religious art. It had been constructed in 1758 by the metropolitan Pavle Nenadovic in the place of a little church dedicated to St. Nicholas. One should know that it had been the centre of the Serbian church from 1730 till 1920, and thus the inside decoration has been showing that power. The chandelier in the middle surrounded by the Byzantine crown and the case containing the relics of the Patriarch Arsenije Sremac (the second Serbian archbishop in history) have been witnessing of the residence of the patriarchs during three centuries. Moreover, the 1799 fire had destroyed a great part of the original building could explain the narrowness of the chorus, but also the luxury of the decoration with the motives in marble according to the picture of St. Sophia in Tzarigrad (Istanbul).

On the side walls the Serbian painter of reputation Paja Jovanovic had presented on the right the return of Serbs in front of the Mayoralty of Karlovci in 1814 and on the left a very nice “St. George killing the Dragon” and the Crowning of the King Stefan by his brother St. Sava. But especially the magnificent iconostasis, the work of Jakov Orfelin and Teodor Racun would surprise you. Finally you would not miss noticing the icon of “Virgin Mary and the child Jesus” decorated by diamonds and the precious stones.
Guided visits: contact Ratko Nonkovic: 063 8771 917 or the Patriarchal office on (021) 881 729. E-mail: spcsrem@ptt.yu.

SERBIAN LYCEUM - On the height of the square and at the corner of the street “Karlovackih Djaka” there is the first Serbian Lyceum in the history. Founded in 1791 thanks to the wish of metropolitan Stefan Stratimirovic and to the donations of the rich merchant Dmitri Anastasijevic. At first it was a little low house with only a few classes. The courses had been held in Latin and in German. As late as the end of the XIX century this building has got its present aspect, a mixture of the Serbian medieval architecture (the windows, columns, decoration) and the Secessionism in 1890. Since then the funds of 18,000 rare works and the courses in Latin and in German.

THE CHAPEL OF THE PEACE - One should use little streets in the centre and ascend the Svetozara Markovica street up to this white building overhead by a dome visible from distance. Here had been signed the Peace Agreement (the “Agreement of Karlowitz”) between Turks and Austrians on January 26th 1699. The protagonists began the negotiations in a low house with four entrances allowing all parties to be represented and especially around a round table for the first time in history. The present chapel had been constructed as late as 1817 in the place of a Turkish camp. Here is the tomb of a Venetian diplomat died in Karlovci during the peace negotiations.