Gradac

  Gradac Monastery is situated on the wooded and secluded slopes of Golija Mountain on the place called by locals Petrov Krs. Gradac Monastery was built in the late 13th century, on the ruins of an earlier church. Gradac Monastery is the endowment of Queen Jelena Anzujska /Queen Helen Anjou/, French origin wife of the King Uros I. The Church of Gradac Monastery is dedicated to the Presentation of the Holy Virgin. In the architecture of the shrine of Gradac Monastery that is example of monumental Raska school of architecture there are numerous Gothic /Romanesque/ elements, especially on the portals and on all biforas /windows divided by a colonnete into two arches/.

  In the temple there is the marble sarcophagus where the St. Queen was buried. Her relics were moved from here during the Turkish invasion by monks and nowadays it is not clear where they are kept. The relics of King Dragutin /later monk St. Teoktist/ were brought to Gradac Monastery from Decani Monastery.

    The fresco decoration of the Gradac Monastery interior is considerably damaged but the endower's composition is still visible. The original stone iconostasis is preserved in primary edition. Gradac Monastery is nowdays functioning as a nunnery and in its glorious beauty represents one of the most attractive medieval Serb cultural and historical monuments and spiritual centers. Nuns happily live their evangelilic lifes and do icon-painting and handwork /weaving and gold-embroidery on silk/. During archaeological exploration of the Gradac Monastery undertaken in 2005 eight test trenches were opened, totaling 70 m2 on the outer side of St. Bogorodica /Holy Virgin/ Church.

    In addition to the medieval cultural layer and the Medieval cemetery that has been identified earlier, the prehistoric cultural layer with an overall thickness of 0,8 meter was also discovered. This prehistoric cultural layer with three building horizons and associated archaeological material, formed over a long period of time, from the very end of the early and throughout a large part of the developed Bronze Age. In the earliest prehistoric layers to which two building horizon belong Early Bronze Age pottery was found. "Days of Queen Jelena", the unique cultural event /manifestation/ is held at the beginning of May every year to celebrate the Queen and her endowment when numerous competitions in old crafts and knights' games are organized. Gradac Monastery is favorite destination in our tours.