Maps of Power

Djurić/Babić-Djordjević 1997a

Properties

ID 119937
System Class Bibliography
Bibliography Article
Case Study Beyond East and West: Sacred Landscapes Duklja and Raška

Description

Vojislav J. Djurić/Gordana Babić-Djordjević, Počeci umetnosti kod Srba, in: Srpska umetnost u srednjem veku I (Beograd 1997) 5-49.

Relations

Places (7)
Name Class Begin End Description
Bijelo Polje, Church of St. Peter Place 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.
Budimlja, Monastery of Djurdjevi Stupovi (St. George) Place The Monastery of Djurdjevi Stupovi (St. George) is situated in Budimlja near Berane and was built by Stefan Prvoslav, the son of Tihomir, as his mausoleum between 1170 and 1190. The monastery also served as the see of the Bishops of Budimlja (Rl. 9, 43). (PJ Š Pam., 68 - sьzyda crьkovь ... u Budimlje svetago Geōrgïa; LjS ZiN I, 1029 (286) episkopь Budimlьsky Teofilь ... vь domu svetago velikago Strastotrьpьca Hristova Georgïa). The church underwent several reconstructions, but its plan remained the same. It is a single nave edifice with three bays and a dome. Later, in the 13th century (certainly by the 1240s), a narthex was added in the West of it with two rectangular-based towers. As most researchers believe, it was built by masters from the Adriatic (as to be seen in the polychromic façade), following the model of Apulian churches. Also, this church is similar in plan with the Church of St. Luke in Kotor.
Novi Pazar (Ras), Church of St. Peter Place The Church of St. Peter in Ras was built by order of the Serbian Prince Mutimir (reigned 851-891) around 870-890 on a hill of Stari Ras ("Old Ras"), in today’s city of Novi Pazar. (VĐ ŽSN., 18 i 19 - se v'toroje kr'Štenije prijeti ... u V'seslavnyju ... Petra i Pavla). However, the latest research refutes the previous beliefs that the church was built by Prince Mutimir in 870, but much earlier, probably around 820, by Prince Radoslav. It seems that Prince Mutimir restored the building approximately six decades later, making it an episcopal seat (the church was most likely destroyed in one of the two Bulgarian campaigns against Serbia). It was decorated with fresco paintings at the beginning of the 10th century with the merit of the Serbian Prince Petar Gojniković (reigned 892-918). The building, made from sandstone and travertine, is a rotunda encircling an irregular tetraconch (with the fact that the conch on the Eastern side, intended for the altar space, had a different shape and a larger area than the other three conchs) with vaults in the form of semicircles. Above the central area is a dome which is octagonal on the outside. The Eastern conch served as an altar, while on its Northern, Western and Southern sides the rotunda is embraced by a horseshoe-like ambulatory above which are galleries looking onto the nave, which served as a catechumenate or matroneum. The rotunda constructed on the described foundation was surrounded on all sides, except in the east, by a nave, which was divided by radial walls into five "rooms", interconnected by passages. The outer wall of the nave was adjacent to the circular wall of the rotunda. On the exterior, the edifice resembles pre-Romanesque style, with shallow arched niches placed on the upper part of the drum and the lateral wall of the rotunda, along the apse. Niches can be seen in the interior as well. The baptismal piscina, hollowed out in front of the southeast pilaster of the rotunda, points to the conclusion that St. Peter's church was partly intended for baptisms. The church simultaneously functioned as a court chapel. The only preserved sculptural decorations inside and around blind niches in the interior of the church are floral and geometrical motifs along with crosses engraved into fresh plaster. The fresco paintings have mostly faded. Today some of the decoration can be seen in the drum with five scenes associated with Christ’s nativity and childhood (Annunciation, Visitation, Nativity, Adoration of the Magi and Presentation at the Temple). In the squinches, one can see parts of scenes of the Baptism and Betrayal of Christ, and on the Western wall, below the drum, parts of the Crucifixion. All compositions were framed with wide bands, rimmed with red. On elongated figures, red-violet and yellow-golden tones prevail. The background is mostly golden, while grey is seen once it progresses towards the top. Art historians believe that Byzantine masters were hired to decorate the church (they also find similarities with the Church of St. Stephen in Kastoria and the Church of Transfiguration near Koropi, Attica).
Ošlje church, Octachora Place The Ošlje church was probably built in the 10th century and to this day has remained greatly damaged. Its dedication is unknown, but T. Marasović presumes it might have been dedicated to St. Peter. Its an eight-leaf edifice with dome above its central part while conchae had semi-domes. When taking into consideration solid building construction, facade with lesenes and flat niches, and rare programme concept it is possible that its ktetor was Prince Michael (Mihailo Višević, reigned 912-935) or some other prominent ruler of Zachlumia. Some art historians believe this church was built solely for baptism. Ošlje and its Octachora are mentioned in the written source "De Administrando Imperio (DAI)" of the Byzantine Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus (reigned 913/945-959).
Voljavac, Church of the Holy Mother of God Place The Church of the Holy Mother of God is situated in the village of Voljavac in Montenegro. It was built at the end of the 12th century by the Serbian Grand Župan Stefan Nemanja (reigned 1166/68-1196) on the remnants of an older edifice and was confirmed as a possession of the Church of the Holy Apostles on Lim by the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin (reigned 1282-1321). This church is a single nave vaulted edifice, with three bays, semicircular apse and a narthex. At the Western side of the church were two pilasters, similar to the Churches of St. Luke and of St. Anne in Kotor. Its entrance is in the West. It was in ruins until 1995 and then renewed. Before the renovation, the walls were preserved up to a height of 50 to 70 cm. Old graves and spolia are to be found around the church, and to its North a recent cemetery. To the North-West of the church a free-standing bell tower was erected in 1995.
Zaton, Church of St. John the Baptist Place The Church of St. John the Baptist in Zaton on the River Lim near Bijelo Polje is a trefoil church built in the 9th or the 10th century, was destroyed in the 14th century and again in the 20th century. Finally, it was rebuilt in the 21st century. The similarity with the Church of St. Panteleimon in Ohrid indicates that it was probably erected during the reign of Tsar Samuel. The ground plan indicates a single nave church with square base and three conchae on its Eastern, Northern and Southern sides. Fragments of fresco decoration and a stone slab floor were found. Researchers believe that the church was fresco decorated in the time of the Serbian Prince Miroslav (reigned 1162-1190).
Škaljari, Church of St. Domnius Place The Church of St. Domnius is situated near the city of Kotor and is dated in the late 12th century, and was first mentioned in written documents in the 14th century. It is a single nave edifice, semicircular apse and bell tower on the Western side, with a ground-level crypt. The Church is built of stone.
Artifacts (8)
Name Class Description
Church of St. Peter in Zavala, Altar Screen Artifact Among the sculptural remains found during the excavation of the Church of St. Peter in Zavala near Popovo Polje (in the vicinity of Trebinje), the altar screen deserves special attention. The preserved fragments are decorated with three-part ribbon ornaments, and the fragment with depictions of birds is particularly interesting. Most fragments have different geometrical ornaments and images of birds that symbolise the Eucharist. Most scholars date the altar screen to the 9th or 10th century. It is kept in the Museum of Hercegovina in Trebinje.
Ciborium from Ulcinj Artifact The ciborium from Ulcinj is one of the oldest (partially) preserved ciboriums. It dates back to the beginning of the 9th century. This ciborium stands out for its relief decoration with figural motifs made in the pre-Romanesque style. On the right is an image of a lion devouring a smaller animal, which on its part devours a bird, referring to the invocation of salvation (Psalm 21:22), and on the left is another lion represented above a palm tree. There is also a partially preserved inscription engraved along the frame of the ciborium. The frontal arcade of the ciborium was found in Ulcinj in 1937. The exact location of the find remains unknown. Then, it was transferred to the National Museum in Belgrade. Since then, it has been part of the permanent exhibition of medieval heritage. In 2005, another fragment belonging to the same structure was identified, allowing scholars to conclude that the ciborium had a rectangular structure and was probably positioned above the altar of the church. Apart from the names of the donors inscribed on the ciborium, namely of Gusma and her husband, the inscription mentions two Byzantine Emperors Leo and Constantine, identified as Leo V (reigned 813-820) and his son Constantine (reigned as co-emperor 813-820). This made it possible to date the ciborium and the church to the years 813-820.
Kuti, Church of St. Thomas, Parapet Plate Artifact In the Church of St. Thomas in Kuti were representative carved stone altar parapets in former times, of which the entire parapet plate with the scene of Adoration of the Cross is the only one preserved. It is probably from the last third of the 11th century. The developed figural decoration is distinguished by two stylistic peculiarities - the pre-Romanesque motif of the cross filled with braids woven with a three-part strip, and on the other hand, the innovative shaping of figures and the abandonment of flatness. Today it is kept in the Regional Museum of Herceg Novi..
Panik, Frescoes Artifact Fragments of frescoes were found during the research of the church in Panik. In question are fragments of heads of Saints with inscriptions in Greek, which could have been done by Byzantine masters. They are probably dated to the 12th century. Today, these fragments of frescoes are kept in the National Museum in Sarajevo.
Rogačići, Archivolt Artifact The preserved archivolt of the ciborium in Rogačići was made in the pre-Romanesque style. Although dated to the 11th century (in earlier literature even dated to the 12th century), the possibility that it was created in an earlier time cannot be ruled out. Fragments of the archivolt were found during the excavation of the six-leafed church in Rogačići, and today they are kept in the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Sarajevo.
Ston, Church of Saint Archangel Michael, Frescoes Artifact The wall paintings have been partially preserved on the side walls and in the apse, while smaller fragments were discovered on the vault of the Eastern aisle. In the niche of the Western bay, there is a figure of a ruler with a crown and a model of the church (in Ston) in his hand. It is the most famous fresco which allowed the dating of the church (along with the inscription on the lintel). On the opposite, Southern side, is an image of Saint George, with a sword and a shield in his hand, next to which the inscription (GE)O(R)GIVS is to be found. Above the ruler, only the lower parts of two figures have been preserved, one in a ceremonial robe and the other unclothed and shackled in a humble position. Both are directed towards the West, so it is assumed that it is an image of a sinner and on the Western wall was a scene of the Last Judgment. Some scholars date the frescoes between 1051 and 1081, while others suggest an earlier date (the first half of the 11th century). In recent times, the frescoes have been associated with close examples of Ottonian book illumination and wall painting or Regensburg illuminations from the end of the 10th century (BamStbib, Msc. Lit. 142, f 4v). Nevertheless, the closest analogies are to be found in Byzantine painting of the first half and/or middle of the 11th century in the Southern Italian region of Apulia (such as in the Church of Santa Marina in Muro Leccese or in the crypt near Grottaglia, Gravina di Riggio).
Ston, Church of Saint Archangel Michael, Relief Decoration Artifact In the Church of Saint Archangel Michael in Ston several original pieces of architectural decoration and church furnishing, dated to the 11th century, have been preserved. All openings of the Early Medieval building, that have been preserved, indicate the pre-Romanesque bas-relief style of their frames and the Early Medieval frescoes in the interior, which harmonise the composition with the arrangement of the windows. The relief decoration was made in the pre-Romanesque style (some of the researchers like Jurković and Tomas recognise two chronological layers of the sculpture). The lintel, used in a secondary function as a tombstone, is decorated with three crosses, connected to each other by a two-bar braid. The upper field has an inscription, which has been interpreted and dated differently in historiography. B. Gabričević recognised the verse in the inscription as follows: (ARCHANGELUS) MICHAELUS FORTITER SUPER SECO PACIFICOQUE OMNES ROMANOS Among the fragments of liturgical furniture the remains of the altar screen and ciborium can be recognised.
Sušćepan, Church of St. Stephen, Parapet Plates Artifact In the Church of St. Stephen in Sušćepan two parapet plates, decorated in the pre-Romanesque style, were found. Each is divided into two square surfaces, framed by a border covered by braids of three-part strips. A griffin is represented on the upper surface of both plates, while a stylised floral ornament is placed below. These marble slabs date back to the 11th century and were then part of the iconostasis. Today, younger buildings were built (adjacent) to the wall in the same place.