The magnificent Medieval Studenica Monastery is the mother church of all Serbian Orthodox shrines. The Monastery was found somewhere around 1190 AD by Grand Price [ Serbian: Veliki Župan ] Stefan Nemanja, founder of the great Nemanjići dynasty, as the principal endowment and mausoleum church. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1986 and as a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance by the Republic of Serbia in 1979.
The Location
The Monastery is situated in Raška District [ Serbian: Raški okrug ] in Central Serbia, bordering with Montenegro and Kosovo*. It lays nearby beautiful valley in the confluence of Studenica and Ibar Rivers, also know as the Valley of the Kings. The location is some 200km drive from Belgrade, 39km from Kraljevo, 300km from Podgorica, 350km from Sofia and 550km from Thessaloniki.
* UN protectorate under UNSCR 1244
Studenica Monastery Complex consists of four medieval churches, the Lower and the Upper Saint Sava Sanctuaries and the dormitory, hospice, refectory, with the high tower enclosed by defensive walls in a form of an almost perfect circle. These are the churches of the complex: The Church of the Virgin Mary, Saint Nichola’s Church, Saints Joachim’s and Anne’s Church also known as The King’s Church, and well preserved foundations of the Saint John the Baptist’s Church.
The History
The oldest and the most significant among Studenica Monastery structures is the Church of the Virgin Mary constructed between 1183 and 1196 in the brilliant combination of Byzantine Cathedral and Romanesque exterior details, entirely representing the so-called “Raška school” of architecture. The church keeps the Myrrh-Streaming and incorruptible holy relics of Stefan Nemanja, later monk Simeon, as well as other notable Serbian rulers and saints like Ana, the wife of Stefan Nemanja [ sanctified Anastasia ], King Vukan his oldest son, King Stefan the First Crowned [ Serbian: Prvovenčani ] sanctified as monk Simon, King Radoslav and others.
Studenica Monastery was well looked after by the other members of the Nemanjić dynasty, serving as a model for the churches of Rascia. It was also their spiritual center blended into the intact nature of it’s surroundings, featuring unique spirituality, serenity and warmth.
Since the fall of the last of the medieval Serbian states in 1459, the Ottoman Turks often assaulted the monastery. The first of the significant restorations of the damage took place in 1569, when the frescoes in the Church of the Virgin were repainted. In the early 17th century, an earthquake and a fire befell the monastery, and historical documents and a significant part of the artistic heritage were destroyed and lost forever.
The Arhitecture
The Virgin’s Church is a domed single-nave basilica. At its eastern end there is a three-sided apse, while an extended narthex faces west; there are also vestibules on the north and the south. In the 1230's, a large exonarthex was added. The facades were built with slabs of white marble; inside, the church is revetted with tuff blocks. Externally, the Church harmoniously reconciles two architectural styles, the Romanesque and the Byzantine. The blending of these two styles eventually produced a particular style of architecture known as the Raška School. This style influenced further masonry projects up until the year of 1300, when new styles appear. It is assumed that the masons who built the church came from the coastal areas, perhaps from Kotor where Stefan Nemanja had a palace.
The church of Saints Joachim and Anna or the King’s Church was constructed in 1314, in the form of a compressed cross, with the exterior structure of an octagonal dome. It is built of stone and tuff, with plastered facades.
The western side of the monastery complex houses a bell tower, erected in the 13th century.
The Arts
The artistic achievements of the sculpture of Studentica culminate in four portals of the Virgin’s Church, primarily the west one, inside between the narthex and the exonarthex. On the north wall under the dome, there is a window made of many square panes with medallions carved on a leaden plaque which represent eight fantastic animals — the symbols of the Virgin’s virtues. There are also two rosettes denoting the Divine Eye. The masons left an inscription in Serbian lettering on the tympanum of the west portal.
The Virgin’s Church was painted in the first decade of the 13th century. The original frescoes have been partly preserved in the altar area, under the dome, on the west wall, and in the lower registers of the nave. The most splendid representation is that of the Crucifixion, painted on blue background in 1209, one of the paramount achievements in Serbian art. On the south wall there is the “founders’ composition” which shows the Virgin taking Nemanja (Simon) with the church model to Jesus Christ as the Magistrate Impartial. The narthex was painted in 1569. Those frescoes include an exquisite representation of the Last Judgment in the upper registers, and the portrait of Nemanja’s wife Ana as the nun Anastasija.
The earliest fresco painting in King’s church marks the supreme achievement of Byzantine art in the region. The frescoes in Radoslav’s narthex and the pareclesions originate from the 1230's and display a close relation to the painting style of the main church. The north chapel, dedicated to St. Nicholas, contains a composition of the Hetoimasia and a cycle dealing with the life of St. Nicholas. In the south chapel one finds the portraits of Nemanja, Stefan the First Crowned and King Radoslav with his wife Ana. On the north wall of the narthex, three dignitaries of the Serbian Church are portrayed — the archbishops Sava, Arsenije and Sava II (Radoslav’s brother).
The founder Stefan Nemanja and Serbia at the time
Stefan Nemanja ruled over Serbian Grand Principality, also known as Ras or Old Ras [ Serbian: Stari Ras, Latin: Rascia, Hungarian: Ráczság ]. Ras appears for the first time in the Byzantine work De Aedificiis written by Procopius of Caesarea [ Greek: Προκόπιος ] before changing name to Kingdom of Serbia. Nemanja was born around the year 1113 AD in Ribnica, Zeta as the youngest son of Zavida, a Prince of Zahumlje. Upon coming of age, he was named Prince [ Župan ] of Ibar, Toplica, Rasina and Reke.
Between the year 1166 and 1168, Nemanja rebelled against his broder the Grand Župan of Rascia, deposed and exiled him. He then assumed the title of Grand Župan of all Seriba and took the first name of Stefan [ Greek: Στέφανος, meaning The Crowned One ]. He married Ana, Serbian noblewoman who became Princess Consort of the Serbian Principality and had three sons — Vukan, Stefan and Rastko.
On March 25th 1196, Stefan Nemanja summoned a Council in Ras where he officially abdicted in favor of his second son Stefan. Alongside Ana, he then took monastic vows and adopted the name of Simeon. Simeon joined his son Rastko [ monastic name: Sava ] in the Vatopedi monastery of Mount Athos where together they rebuilt the Monastery of Hilandar, given to the Serbian people by the Byzantine Emperor that later became the heart of Serbian spiritual culture. He died on 13th of February 1199 in his 86th year of life.
According to a belief, a holy oil or myrrh seeped from his tomb, which gained him the epithet The Myrrh-Streaming One [ Serbian: Mirotočivi ]. Even though the miracle didn’t occur in the past 300 years, it is said that this body still gives off a sweet smell, like violets. Serbian Orthodox Church canonised him in 1200 AD and declared his feast-day on 26th of February [ 13th of February according to old Julian calendar ]. In the year 1206, his son Sava took his remains from Hilandar Monastery to Rascia. He was re-buried in 1207 in Studenica Monastery, his personal foundation.
How to get there?
The easiest solution would probably be to fly to Belgrade, if you’re traveling from abroad, then either rent a car and drive towards Raška or take a bus. There are also train options, but in the end you would need to use one of the previous two options.
There are low-cost airliners flying from many European cities. See the map below and then check out the best option at http://jetmap.co
To easily check out the regular flights from almost anywhere in the world, use Google’s Flights service at https://www.google.com/flights/
There are many Rent-A-Car companies to choose from, and most of them can be reached straight at the airport, like Budget, Sixt, Hertz and many more…
Where to stay?
There is a B&B [ Serbian: Konak ] next to the monastery where you can stay at the reasonable price. Booking inquiries should go through their email adress at konakstudenica@gmail.com or phone number +381–64–64–67–492.
You can also check out other options at websites like Booking.com, AirBNB, Expedia and Trivago.
What else to visit while there?
There are many other medieval churches and monasteries in the Raška District to visit, and are easily accessible by either car or a bus. Here are some must see choices: Monasteries Gradac, Stara Pavlica, Žiča, Sopoćani, Pillars of Saint George; Mount Kopaonik National Park, Golija National Park of Biosphere, Rural tourism, Altun-Alem Mosque in Novi Pazar, Novi Pazar Fortress and Isa-Beg Isaković’s Hammam etc.
Useful links
Studenica Monastery Official Website
Studenica Monastery Wikipedia
Stefan Nemanja Wikipedia
Nemanjići Dynasty Wikipedia
Raška region Wikipedia
Medieval Principality of Serbia Wikipedia
Serbian Visa Regime
Tourist Organisation of Serbia
Tourst Organisation of Belgrade
Wikitravel Serbia
Air Serbia
Nikola Tesla International Airport
