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Nagoričino, Church of Saint George
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According to the Life of Saint Prohor Pčinjski (11th c.) Prohor settled in a small cave in the deserted area of Nagoričino in Žegligovo as a hermit (vь glubokuju pustynnju Nagoričeskuju). In Nagoričino also his hermitage (cave) is to be found. The original construction of the Church of Saint George in Nagoričino is dated to the 11th century and associated with Saint Prohor Pčinjski or the Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes (reigned 1068-1071). The Life of Saint Joakim Osogovski from the 12th century gives an account on the building activity of an anonymous Emperor (hram prpodbnomu vъ ime svjatogo velikomčenika Hristvo Gjeōrgia). The church fell without doubt into disrepair in the last quarter of the 13th century. According to the Slavonic inscription at the Western entrance to the narthex, the church was renewed by the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin (reigned 1282-1321) in the year 1313. In this inscription a certain abbot called Andonij is also mentioned. This hint suggests that a monastery existed at that time near the church itself (Izvoleniemь božiemь sьzda sja domь svetago i velikoslavnago mjačenika Hristova Geōrgijě vь dny svjatorodnago i prěvysokago kralě Uroša Milutina, bogomь samodrьžьcu vsei srbьskoi zemli i primorьskoi, pri bogočьstivěi kralici Simonidě, i pri igumeně Andony, v lěto 6821 [1313]). According to the Slavonic inscription from 1318 in the interior, the church was decorated with frescoes by order of the Serbian King Milutin under the abbot Benjamin (Božiemь izvoljenijemь sьzʼda se ōt osnovanie, i popisa se, čьstnii hramь podaijemь vsakiim prevysokago krala Stefana Uroša, vь lěto 6826, pri igumeně Beniamine). Another inscription in the interior above the Western entrance has not been preserved. Between 1300 and 1318/21 a certain anagnost Radin from Nagoričino in Žegligovo (anagnosta Radina Nagoričanina izь Žegligova) wrote a gospel for the priest Zagoranin in Sušica. The old Serbian Genealogies (rodoslovi) and Annals (letopisi) report that the Serbian King Milutin had founded or endowed numerous monasteries, amongst others also the Monastery of Saint George in Nagoričino (Nagoričino svetomu Geōrgiju; i vь Nagoričine svetago Gjeōrgija; i druguju vь Nagoričinu; i vь Nagoričine Georgia). In the same sources Žegligovo and Nagoričino are subsumed in one geographical unit (i u Nagoričinu na Žegligovo crьkov svetago velikomučenika Georgia; i u Nagoričinu na Žegligovu crkovь svetago velikomučenika Georgia; i u Nagoričinu na Žegligovu crkovь svetago mučenika Georgia; i u Nagoričinu na Žegligovo crkovь svetago velikomučenika Georgia; i u Nagoričinu na Žegligovu crkovь svetago velikomučenika Georgija). The Lives of the Serbian Kings and Archbishops by Archbishop Danilo II and his successors confirm the renewal of the church under the Serbian King Milutin (i crkovь svetaago Georgьgija nagoričьskaago). The abbot Benjamin from Nagoričino is named in the list of abbots in two Serbian charters (1317 and one forgery from the 15th century, where he is referrred to as nagoričkii Beniaminь, respectively nagorički Beniaminь). According to the aforesaid Lives of the Serbian Kings and Archbishops, the Serbian King Stefan Uroš III Dečanski (reigned 1321-1331) gathered his army in the forefront of the Battle of Velbužd in the first half of 1330 on a field called Dobrič, located in today's South-Eastern Serbia at the confluence of the rivers Južna Morava and Toplica. He intended to confront the Bulgarian Tsar Michael III Šišman (reigned 1323-1330) at this place. When messengers informed him that the Bulgarian Tsar had intruded Serbian territory near the castle of Zemen on the upper reaches of the river Struma, where the then border of the Serbian Kingdom lay, he set his army in march and first moved to Nagoričino, where he prayed in the Church of Saint George (priide vь monastirь svoi kь svetomu mučeniku Hristovu Georьgiju Nagoričьskomu). The victory of King Stefan Dečanski at the Battle of Velbužd on 28 July 1330 is described by the Serbian annals and the aforesaid Lives of the Serbian Kings and Archbishops. According to the Serbian annals, King Stefan Dečanski captured Michael Šišman and brought him to Žegligovo (aduxere eum in Segligovo), where the Bulgarian Tsar died and was buried in the Church of Saint George in the village of Nagoričino (et sepulchro datus est in Ecclesia sancti Georgii in pago Gorichina). On the contrary, the Lives of the Serbian Kings and Archbishops describe that the Bulgarian ruler had already died in the battle. His corpse was brought to the Church of Saint George in the place called Nagoričino (prěnesenu Georьgija vь městě rekoměmь Nagoričьskaago) and entombed there. In a ledger containing a list of debtors and guarantors of the Ragusan merchant Mihailo Lukarević from Novo Brdo, dated to the period from 1432 to 1438, a certain Radiuoj Tatich from Nagoričino, who was born in Kokÿno (de Chochina in Nagorizno/Nagorzno) is mentioned. On his campaign against the town of Skutari (now Shkodra in Albania) in May 1474 the Ottoman Pasha of Rumeli stayed with his army in Nagoričino, which was three days of journey away from Kosovo Polje (Bassa Romanie cum numeroso et valido exercitu dimissus est in loco dicto Nagoricino, distanti a Cossovo itinere dierum trium). In the Pšinski pomenik (15th c.) Nagoričino is attested as Staro Nagoričino ("Old Nagoričino"), while the toponym of Nagoričino is obviously used for Mlado Nagoričino. Nagoričino is registered in the Defter for the Sanjak Köstendil from 1519 with the attribute "Staro" and from the years 1570 to 1572 as Gühne Nogoriç, Köhne-i Nagoriç and Köhne-yi Nogoriç (with the meaning of "Staro Nogorič"). The assumption that Edward Brown (1668-1669, published in 1673) saw the Church of Saint George in Nagoričino, while passing through Kumanovo, is probably incorrect ("near which [scil. Kumanovo] there is still a Greek Monastery, upon the side of the hills"). Rather he wrote about Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska in the Skopska Crna Gora, to the West of Kumanovo. In 1704 the Serbian scribe Jerotej Račanin refers to Nagoričino as 40 churches ("40 crkvy" or Turkish "krka klisa").
From the viewpoint of Art History, it should be emphasised that the Serbian King Milutin had the upper part of the Church of Saint George built on the destroyed walls of an older edifice in 1312/13 as evidenced by the aforesaid inscription above the Western entrance. The frescoes in the church were completed in 1317/18 according to the aforesaid inscription from 1318 in the interior and were executed by the painters Michael and Eutychius. The Church of Saint George is in the form of an inscribed cross with five domes, with barrel and groin vaults and a semicircular apse on the East (the altar space is relatively large and is continuing to the space of the nave), while the older edifice is clearly visible (especially on the Northern side of the church).
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Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska (Monastery Matejče)
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It is assumed that the church building was erected during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Isaakios I Komnenos (1057-1059). The existence of the Church Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska is beyond doubt attested from the 14th century. The monastery is mentioned in the boundary description of the village of Črěševo, which forms part of a donation by the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin (reigned 1282-1321) to the Monastery of Saint George-Gorg near Skopje (ta nad Svetuju Bogorodicu črьnogorьsku do Črьnoga kamene). The Vita of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš V (reigned 1355-1371), written by the Serbian Patriarch Pajsije, reports that Stefan Uroš V and his mother Jelena completed the Church Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska after the death of the Serbian Emperor Stefan Uroš IV Dušan (reigned 1331-1355) (I togda blagočьstivaa carica sь sinomь svoimь sьvršajutь crьkovь ostavšuju ōt blagočьstivago i prěvisokago cara Stefana vь črьnoi gori ne sьvršena i trudomь i podvigomь i pomoštïju prečistye vladičice naše i bogorodice i svoihь praroditeь pomoštïju i zastupljenïemь sьvrьšajutь crkьvь prěslavnuju vь pohvalu i slavu uspenïe prěčityje i prěblagoslovenïe vladičice naše i bogorodice i prisnoděvy marie i do dьnьsь iměnuetse črьnogorska bogorodica). It is unclear, whether the Church of Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska is identical with the church in the Skopska Crna Gora above Žegligovo built by Jelena, the mother of Stefan Uroš V, which is attested in the Serbian genealogies (rodoslovi) and annals (letopisi) (u Črьmьnyje Gory, vyše Žegligova; eius vero mater aedificavit Ecclesiam in Nigro Monte, supra Segligovo). The Ottoman Sultan Murad I (reigned 1360-1389) might have passed by the Church Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska on his march against the Serbian Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović (reigned 1373-1389) before the battle on the Kosovo field (Kosovo Polje) in 1389. Evdokija Balšić commissioned the monk Gerasim in the Monastery of Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska in 1409 to write the manuscript of the Dialogues (paterik) by Saint Gregory the Great (...sia božestvennaja kniga, glagoljemaa dialogь, ispisa se iže vь ōbitěli prěčityje i prěslaьnyje vladyčice naše bogorodice nerukotvorennyje čjudotvorice črьnogorьskye povelěnïem blagověrnyje i blagočьstivyje i hristoljubivyje gospogje despotice kyr Eudokyje, dьšti blagověrnago i hristoljubivago i velikago gospodina Gjurgja Balšikja...). The scribe Vladislav Gramatik resided in the Monastery of Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska between 1457 and 1497. In 1479 he compiled a liturgical book (panegyrikon) in the Monastery at the foot of the Crna Gora in the region of Žegligovo (monastiri prěsvetyje vladičice naše bogorodice iže vъ podkrilïi Črьnye Gory, vь prědělě Žegligovʼcěm). The scribe Dimitrij Kantakuzin also temporarily resided in the monastery. The scribal notes of both copyists mention the Monastery of Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska in the year 1469 (vь vьsečьstněmь monastiri prěsvetye bogorodice suštee iže v podkrilïi Črьnye Gory), 1473 (vъ vъsečъstněm monastiri prěsvetye vladičice naše bogorodice i prisnoděvy Marïe, suštee iže v podkrilïi Črъnye Gory), 1479 (vь vьsečьstněm monastiri prěsvetyje vladičice naše bogorodice iže vъ podkrilïi Črьnye Gory, vь prědělě Žegligovʼcěm) and 1480/81 (Vladislavu dïaku ōt Črьnogorskye bogorodice). The Monastery of Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska is registered as "Holy Mother of God in Kara Donlu" or "Monastery Karadonlu with the second name Holy Mother of God" in the Defter for the Sanjak Köstendil from the years 1570 to 1572. In the 17th century (between 1647 and 1654) the Serbian Patriarch Gavrilo Rajić payed a visit to the Monastery of Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska (Da se zna kogda pridohь azь arhiepiskopь Gavriilь vъ carьnogorsku bogorodicu). The British traveller Edward Brown saw most probably the Monastery of Sveta Bogorodica Črьnogorska, when he passed through the city of Kumanovo in 1668/69 (near which [scil. Kumanovo] there is still a Greek Monastery, upon the side of the Hills).
The Church has a ground plan of an inscribed-cross with five domes, resembling those of Staro Nagoričine and Church of St. Panteleimon in Nerezi (near Skoplje), narthex and a three-partite apse. The central dome has a twelve-sided drum and is set on four massive pillars. The smaller domes, erected in the shape of octagons, are located in the corners of the building - the eastern ones are situated on the prosthesis and the deaconry, and the western ones above the narthex. The narthex is decorated with a modest architectural sculpture. The Church is vaulted with barrel and cruciform arches, placed on the walls, pillars and pilasters in the interior of the building. The façade is decorated with lesenes.
This Church is a true representative of the building traditions of the Palaiologan epoch, such as Churches in Arta, Mistra and Thessaloniki.
The Church has been fresco painted between 1348 and 1352, representing the largest painted ensemble on the Macedonian territory in the 14th century and the second largest in the Balkans.
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