Decani

On the road from Djakovica 16 km away from Pec the monastery of Decani has presented itself in an excavation of a forested plane at the foot of a high mountain. Linking together the Western architectural elements – the roof and the façade with Serbo-Byzantine decorative elements-plates of alternating red, white and grey marbles- this church of medium dimensions shows its most beautiful jewels in a natural greenish and quiet framework. The monastery of Decani had been constructed by the king Stefan Uroš Dečanski (1321-1331), Emperors Dusan’s father. Its church, which had been dedicated to the Christ Pantocrator, ought to serve as his mausoleum. After his death his son Dusan had finished the church so that he decorated it with the paintings if more than 1,000 compositions realized between 1335 and1350. the monastery had been plundered many times, but the frescos remained intact.

The frescos decorating this church and its narthex have represented the summits of Serbian arts, powerfully inspired by the Byzantine art, especially by the church of Saint Saviour in Constantinople. All the repertoire in honour in the Byzantine Empire represented here with a luxury of details and a circumstantiality being wonderful. The Christ’s life represented from the birth to the Ascension has been illustrated integrally with a specially developed circle of Passion, the most remarkable has been that these composition have not been limited to the most sacred part, but have been in all the edifice till in the narthex. Through the compositions from the Old Testament we have precise information about the court ceremony and he military victories under the Emperor Dusan. On the narthex dedicated to St. George the frescos have illustrated the legend of this saint, but also have figured the procession of the King Stefan Dečanski and Tsar Dušan as well as their families respectively and also the genealogical tree of Nemanjics. In the naos, among 250 figures of the saints distributed especially on the pillars, in the windows, the arcs and the arches as well as several portraits of the monarchs and the dignitaries of the church make to complete the rich contents of the painting ensemble of the naos composed by 18 religious circles.

To realize this large ensemble of frescos it had been necessary to invite numerous artists. The only name relieved to us: Serge “Gresni” (the Sinner) who like the group of architects belonged to the artist group from Kotor.