Dečani Monastery (2004)
and
Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (2006)
Serbia
The Dečani Monastery - at the foot of the slopes of the Prokletije mountains, in the western part of the province of Kosovo and Metohija - was built in the mid 14th century for the Serbian King Stefan Decanski. It is also his mausoleum. The monastery represents the last important phase of Byzantine-Romanesque architecture in the region and is the largest of all medieval Balkan churches. It contains exceptional, well-preserved Byzantine paintings, which cover practically the entire interior of the church with over 1,000 compositions and individual depictions of saints. It also has numerous Romanesque-Gothic sculptures. The original marble floor is preserved, as is the interior furniture, and the main 14th century iconostasis. The Dečani treasury is the richest in Serbia, with, notably, about 60 exceptional icons from the 14th to the 17th centuries. The Monastery represents an exceptional synthesis of Byzantine and Western traditions.
In 2006, the whole property was inscribed on the World Heritage List in Danger.
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Visoki Dečani is a major Serbian Orthodox monastery, situated in Metohija, 12 km south of the town of Pec. The monastery was established in a chestnut grove by king Stefan Decanski in 1327, but its original founding charter is dated to 1330. The cathedral, dedicated to Christ Pantocrator, and built from blocks of red-purple, light-yellow and onyx marble, was constructed by master-builders under the Franciscan monk Vitus of Kotor. It is distinguished from other contemporary Serbian churches by its imposing dimensions and obvious Romanesque features.
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In 2006, this property was renamed, and extended to include the
Medieval Monuments in Kosovo (2006)
The four edifices of the site reflect the high points of the Byzantine-Romanesque ecclesiastical culture that developed in the Balkans between the 13th and 17th centuries with its distinct style of wall painting. The Patriarchate of Peć Monastery is a group of four domed churches, on the outskirts of Peć featuring series of wall paintings. The 13th-century frescoes of the Church of Holy Apostles are painted in a unique, monumental style.
Early 14th-century frescoes in the church of the Holy Virgin represent
the appearance of the new so called Palaiologian Renaissance style, combining
the influences of the eastern Orthodox Byzantine and the western Romanesque
traditions. The style played a decisive role in subsequent Balkan art.
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The four churches of the Patriarchate of Pec Monastery included in the property are: Church of the Holy Apostles, Church of the Mother of God, Church of St. Demetrius, and Church of St. Nikola.
Sources and links:
Many thanks to Mr. Miomir Zivkovic (Serbia) for all help, support and encouragement.
Other World Heritage Sites in Serbia (on this site). Please refer to the UNESCO-listing, Serbia section, for further information on the individual properties.
Revised 24 jul 2007 |
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