Maps of Power

Bijelo Polje, Church of St. Peter

Crkva Sv. Petra, Црква Св. Петра

Begin between 01.01.0800 and 01.01.1000
End between 01.01.1161 and 31.12.1250

Properties

ID 119661
System Class Place
Place Existing Church
Case Study Beyond East and West: Sacred Landscapes Duklja and Raška , Tabula Imperii Byzantini , TIB 17
Dedication Saint Peter
Denomination Orthodox , Joint Christian prior to 1054
Evidence Existing Monument
Ground Plans Single Nave Basilica
Stylistic Classification Pre-Romanesque
Administrative unit Montenegro

Description

The Church of St. Peter is situated in Bijelo Polje, on the Lim River, and was probably founded by the Serbian Prince Miroslav (reigned 1162-1190) before 1161-1162. It was built on an old place of cult, probably from the 9th or 10th century. (SN ZSp., 596 - koga izvoli Svety Petrь Apostolь; MD Kar. trg., 123, nap 14 - usque Limum ad ecclesiam S. Petri). It is a single nave edifice, with three bays skirted by pilasters and arches, and a rectangular apse. The Eastern and Western bays are almost equal in length, whereas the central one is much shorter and has a transverse barrel vault, in the middle of which is a square dome covered by a pyramidal roof. The construction above the vaults gave the church the look of a three-aisled basilica with a transept and a dome. In the second half of the 13th century the Western porch of the church was turned into a narthex and was painted with frescoes at the beginning of the 14th century. Also, bell-towers were added resembling the Churches of St. Tryphon in Kotor, Djurdjevi Stupovi in Budimlja and the Monastery of the Mother of God in Hvosno. The church furnishings, done in a pre-Romanesque style, were taken from the original (older) building.

Files

The Bell Towers of the Church of St. Peter in Bijelo Polje
The Bell Towers of the Church of St. Peter in Bijelo Polje
The Church of St. Peter in Bijelo Polje
The Church of St. Peter in Bijelo Polje