studenica mileusnic 2

7/29/2019 Studenica Mileusnic 2

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In the biography of his father Stefan Nemanja, St. Sava says about the

construction of Studenica Monastery at Usee near Kraljevo: "...this place was

like a deserted hunting ground. When our lord and autocrat Stefan Nemanje

who ruled over Serbian land came here to hunt, it pleased him to build this

monastery in this deserted place". Construction of the monastery church and

buildings took quite a long time. The first part of the work was finished by the

spring of 1196 when Nemanja renounced the throne, took his monastic vows

and the new name Simeon, and moved into his monastery. After Nemanja left

for Chilandar his son and heir to the Raska throne Stefan the First-Crowned

took over the care of the monastery. Nemanja died in Chilandar Monastery in

1199. After the reconciliation of his brothers Stefan and Vukan, Sava took his

father's relics to Studenica. Under Sava's supervision, Studenica Monastery

became the political, cultural and spiritual center of the Serbs. Sava wrote the

Typicon (Rules of Behavior) to be used by the monastery, and the introductory

part gives the biography of St. Simeon. This was the first work of literature

written by a Serb. Nemanja's descendents and the other Serbian rulers

continued to look after Studenica. King Radoslav, Nemanja's grandson, built amonumental narthex in front of the Church of the Virgin Mary in 1235. In 1314

Serbian King Milutin built a small church known as the Kings Church

dedicated to the Virgin Mary's parents SS. Joachim and Anne. After the

collapse of the Despotate in 1459, Studenica shared the fate of the Serbian

people. It was damaged by the Ottoman Turks, then repaired. There was a

thorough renovation in 1568 at which time the frescoes in the Church of the

Virgin Mary were restored. In the first decades of the 18 th century Studenica

was damaged by an earthquake and then by a fire during which valuable

historical and artistic testimony disappeared forever. After these misfortunes,

the Studenica monks went to Russia to seek financial assistance, which then

led to renovation of the monastery beginning in 1631. At the end of the 17th

century during the Austro-Turkish war, Turkish hordes attacked Studenica; at

the beginning of the 18th century the monastery was still in critical condition. In

1758 renovations were made to the church. The new war between Austria and


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Turkey brought Studenica hard times. Owing to the Turks' hostility towards the

Christian West, the Studenica monks took the relics of St. Simeon the

Myrrhflowing and went to Crna Reka Monastery: the Turks then burned and

destroyed the Studenica buildings. At the end of the 18th

century (1798) partialrenovation was carried out. During the First Serbian Uprising Studenica was

under attack once again and was deserted for a while. The monastery

buildings were renovated in 1839. In 1846 new frescoes of a poorer quality

were painted over the old ones in the Church of the Virgin Mary. They were

removed during conservation work in 1951.

The Church of the Virgin Mary is a single nave structure with a dome. The

eastern side has a large central apse and two smaller side apses, and the

western side has an elongated narthex. There are vestibules on the northern

and southern sides that have the appearance of transversal naves. In the

1230s a spacious exonarthex with two lateral chapels and a cross vault was

added to the church. The church is made of blocks of white Radocelo marble

on the outside and the inside is lined with dressed stone. The dome was plas-

tered in 1975 and it regained its former appearance. The Church of the VirginMary is the harmonious combination of two architectural concepts:

Romanesque, which was the leading style of the West, and Byzantine. This

gave rise to a unique architectural style known as the Raska School. The four

portals, particularly the western which used to be the entrance from the

exonarthex to the narthex, represent the highpoint of artistic sculpturing in

Studenica Monastery. On the northern wall of the area under the dome is a

window made of square panes with medallions engraved into the lead base

depicting eight fantastic life-symbols of the Virgin's virtues, with two rosettes

signifying the Eye of God. The names of the master builders of the Church of

the Virgin Mary are not known for sure, but they are assumed to be from the

coastal region, perhaps from Kotor, a city in which Nemanja had his court. The

inscription on the tympanum of the western portal is written in pure Serbian,

which indicates the possibility that the masters were of Serbian origin. Part of

the inscription preserved in the ring of the dome says: "This cathedral to the


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Most Holy Mother of God was built by the celebrated grand zupan Stefan

Nemanja, friend of the emperor of Greece Alek- sije, who became Simeon the

monk... by grand Prince Vukan in the year 1208/9, indiction 9. And remember

me, I who served here, Sava the sinner. So the Church of the Virgin Marywas painted with frescoes at the time of Prince Vukan, probably with

assistance of this brother Stefan the First-Crowned.

Part of the original frescoes have been preserved in the altar, in the area

under the dome, on the western wall and in the lower zones of the naos. The

central place in the altar depicts the composition of the Virgin Mary with

Angels, under which is a depiction of Christ's Communion with the Apostles,

which was partially repainted in the 16th century. The compositions of the

Annunciation and Presentation of the Lord in the Temple on the western wall

above the altar partition also belong to the old frescoes. The monumental

Crucifixion of Christ in the naos is the most artistically perfect painting. The

Studenica frescoes were restored in 1568, as testified by an inscription below

the depiction of the Dormition of the Virgin on the northern wall. This

restoration was expertly and skillfully carried and was the first of its kind doneby the Serbs. Based on some of the features it is assumed that the monk

Longin, one of the best Serbian artists of that time, took part in this

undertaking. The founder's composition is on the southern wall: The Virgin

Mary is leading the founder Simeon Nemanja, holding a model of the church,

to Christ the Righteous Judge. The narthex, which was painted in 1 568, has

an important cycle of frescoes of the Last Judgement in the upper zones of

the eastern and western walls. This space also has a depiction of Sister

Anastasija. formerly Ana, the wife of Stefan Nemanja. The earliest paintings in

the Church of the Virgin Mary represent the highest realm of Byzantine art

from the beginning of the 13th century.. The frescoes in King Radoslavs

narthex and the lateral chapels date from the 1230s. The northern chapel,

which is dedicated to St. Nicholas, contains the composition of the Adoration

of the Lamb and part of the cycle of the life of St. Nicholas. The southern

chapel has depictions of: Nemanja, Stefan the First-Crowned and his son King


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Radoslav with his wife Ana, and the northern wall has three Serbian bishops:

Sava, Arsenije and Sava II, King Radoslav's younger brother.

North of the refectory is the monastery residence dating from the 18 th century

containing a museum with displays from the old Studenica treasury.Unfortunately, most of the valuables from Studenica Monastery's once rich

treasury have disappeared or been destroyed. Of the liturgical and other

ceremonial-artistic objects that remain, the following should be singled out: the

antimension (altar cloth) of Anthony Heradea, embroidered with gold and

silver thread from the 14th century; the shroud from the reliquary of St. Stefan

the First-Crowned, the gift of Sultana Olivera (Despina). Sultan Bayezid's wife

and the daughter of Prince Lazar; the ring of Stefan the First-Crowned from

the 12th century; a gold-plated silver box from 1628; a triptych from 1750 and

many manuscripts of liturgical books from the 15th to the 18th century.

South of the Church of the Virgin Mary lies the Church of SS Joachim and

Anne known as the King's Church for its founder King Milutin. The facade

under the roof cornice has the carved inscription: "In the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, I servant of God Stefan Uros, great-grandson of Lord Simeon and grandson of King Stefan the First- Crowned,

son of great King Uros and King of all Serbian and coastal lands, built this

church in the name of the righteous saints and ancestors of Christ, Joachim

and Anne, in the year 1314, indiction 12, and present the holy church with an

official document with a gold seal to this effect. Whoever should change this,

may he be damned by God and by me, a sinner. Amen. The church was built

through the efforts of archimandrite and protosyncellus prior Jovan".

The church is built in the shape of a reduced cross with a dome that is

octagonal on the outside. It is treasure in the King's Church is the wall painting

from around 1317, the work of Milutin's master painters Michael Astrapa and

Eutyches who decorated most of his endowments. Owing to the value of its

frescoes, this modest sized church is counted among the most valuable

churches of the early 14th century. The inscriptions on the frescoes are in the

Serbian language.


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The Church of St. Nicholas (Nikoljaca) is a single nave structure with an

emphasized gable and semicircular apse. It is made of stone and travertine. It

is assumed to date from the same time as the Church of the Virgin Mary, but

no later than when King Radoslavs narthex was built.Only fragments remain of the original frescoes inside the church. In addition to

the customary depictions, Nikoljaca has the cycle of the Great Feasts. Some

of the characteristics of this painting link it to the mid-13 th century. The present

iconostasis is the work of local painters from the 17th century.

Between the Church of St. Nicholas and the King's Church lies the foundation

of a single nave church dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

To the west of the Church of the Virgin Mary is the old refectory, built in the

13th century during Archbishop Sava's time. It used to have a second floor. It

is made of broken stone and was once painted with frescoes. The interior was

renovated in the 1970s. In 1986 Studenica Monastery was registered in the

Book of World Cultural Heritage. Studenica holds the relics of St. Simeon

(Stefan Nemanja) and his wife Ana (Ven. Anastasija), and the earthly remains

of his sons Stefan the First-Crowned and Vukan, and his grandson Radoslav.

studenica mileusnic 2

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