Cultural Heritage

Vavedenje Monastery and the Mysterious Sarcophagi

In the Slavkovica village, there are remains of the monastery with a church from the end of 13th and first decades of 14 h century, as well as necropolis comprised of more than hundred graves, strangely constructed for Serbia in that period.  What particularly attracted the attention of researchers, were two monumental stone sarcophagi (the third was devastated). Dimitrije Madas in his book named „Slavkovica” claims that they belong to Despot Djuradj Brankovic and his wife Irina, better known as “Prokleta Jerina”, and to their son Prince Lazar Brankovic. But, there is no material evidence proving these claims. There are also precious findings of the St. Nicolas icon and a Cross, which are now stored in National Museum in Belgrade.

The building was entered in the Central Register of Immovable Cultural Goods of the Republic of Serbia in 1982 under the name of The Monastery of the Presentation of the Holy Mother of God and placed in the category of cultural monuments of great importance. This monument is now in the jurisdiction of the Office for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of Valjevo.

Temple of St. John the Baptist with the Necropolis in Dici village

One of the biggest necropolises with remains of a church from the end of 13th century is situated in Dici village, next to the Ibar highway. At the locality named Manastirina, where is nowadays located village cemetery, in 1991 it was discovered the foundations of a medieval church with a large necropolis. The Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments from Valjevo has taken jurisdiction over the archaeological surveys.

This is one of the largest cemeteries in Serbia from 14 century, which includes over 180 tombstones of unusual shape, originating from 14th and 15th century. According to the titles on the founder’s tombstone in the church, it is known that the monastery was built by Lord Vlgdrag, from the period of the King Stefan Uros II Milutin governing.

Temple of St. John the Baptist is protected as Immovable Cultural Monument. Since 2013 the reconstruction has been started. At the moment, the construction of the main nave and altar is running. There is a plan for further activities in order to preserve this precious cultural monument.