Description
The monastery of the Holy Virgin known as Treskavac is located at a ten-kilometre distance from Prilep, below a rocky mountain peak. The oldest part of its katholikon, dedicated to the Dormition of the Holy Mother of God, dates back to the end of the twelfth century or the first half of the thirteenth century, whereas considerable construction works in the same church were carried out during the reign of Andronikos II and several decades later, between 1330 and 1350. The katholikon of the Treskavac Monastery is a complex architectural ensemble. The appearance of the church is the result of numerous constructions, alterations, demolitions, and renovations over the centuries. The spatial plan and structure of the church consist of several architectural units: the main church (altar and naos) with a narthex. Along the southern side of the church, the southern nave extends the entire length, while on the northern side, there is a northern side chapel, and on the western side, a two-domed narthex is situated. To this layout of the church, two additional spatial units are added - a southeast chapel and an enclosed porch encompassing the western and southern sides of the church complex.
Architecture
First phase of construction: The oldest building in the present church complex is the main church with a narthex. It has a compact inscribed cross plan, topped by a dome.
Parallels: Church of St. Archangel Michael in Prilep
Dating: the end of the 12th century or during the first half of the 13th century
Comment: The basis for dating consists of the typological characteristics of architecture and the results of archaeological research. In 1959, six graves were discovered on the southern side of the church, more precisely beneath the foundation of the later-built southern nave and in the southern part of the subsequently constructed porch. These graves date back to the period from the 10th to the 12th century, at the latest until the middle of the 13th century.
Second phase of construction: The second phase includes the construction of an elongated and narrow nave along the southern side and an exonarthex on the western side of the church. A distinct feature of this two-sided annex is the dome raised at the intersection of the southern and western naves. The construction of a two-aisled ambulatory nave adjacent to the Treskavac church belongs to the architectural corpus of the Palaiologan era, characterized by intense additions of side chapels, naves, and other annexes to older church building. The façade design also reflects tendencies of late Byzantine architecture towards intricate decoration, resulting in a departure from the principles of form and structure harmony. The technique of using stone and brick in construction is not entirely regular and constitutes a combination of opus listatum and opus cloisonné. The façade decoration consists solely of ceramic plastic ornamentation limited to the tympanum area of the upper row of blind niches (motifs of a chessboard pattern, fishbone, interlace).
Parallels: Saint John Kaneo in Ohrid
Dating: The last two decades of the 13th century to the first two decades of the 14th century
Third phase of construction: the addition of the northern annex, consisting of two chambers - a single-nave chapel on the eastern side and a square bay with a dome on the western side.
Dating: between the second decade of the 14th century and 1334-1343.
Fourth phase of construction: the construction of the southeastern side chapel adjacent to the southern nave; during this time or later, an open porch on the southern side was also erected.
Dating: the middle of the 14th century
Reconstruction/Renovation:
First Renovation: the upper structure of the main church.
Dating: 1480-1490.
Second Renovation: the renovation of the sanctuary of the main church, the southern nave, and the southeastern side chapel.
Dating: 16th century
Third Renovation: renovation of the narthex.
Dating: 19th century
Painted Decoration:
First fresco layer: has not been preserved.
Second fresco layer: three frescoes in the vestibule of the main entrance to the monastery, formed on the ground floor of the bell tower constructed to the west of the Church of the Dormition of the Virgin. The frescoes were created in 1898, but there is a strong basis for the claim that they replicate the painting program depicted in the same location at the end of the 13th or the beginning of the 14th century. 1. Theotokos in the center, crowning the Byzantine emperors Andronikos II Palaiologos and Michael IX , 2. remains of the founder's composition: a part of the head of a female figure with a halo, facing to the right, and next to her, the so-called model of the church. This is a representation of the Theotokos, and the model undoubtedly was held by the ktitor (founder), whose figure, now completely destroyed, was located opposite the figure of the Mother of God. The destroyed fresco probably depicted the Byzantine military commander Michael Glabas Tarchaneiotes, 3. the figure of archangel Michael
Dating: between 1294 and 1316.
Third fresco layer: frescoes in the exonarthex and the northern dome of the exonarthex; remnants of a royal portrait of King Dušan (repainted) on the eastern wall of the central part of the exonarthex.
Dating: 1334-1343
Fourth fresco layer: Portrait of the patron of the parekklesion (southeastern side chapel), Tepčija Gradislav, on the western wall of the parekklesion.
Dating: the middle of the 14th century
Fifth fresco layer: frescoes in the naos.
Dating: 1480-1490
Sixth fresco layer: frescoes in the sanctuary
Dating: 1570
Seventh fresco layer:
Dating: 1847-1849