Maps of Power

Popović (Danica) 2016b

Properties

ID 124279
System Class Bibliography
Bibliography Inbook
Case Study Beyond East and West: Sacred Landscapes Duklja and Raška

Description

Danica Popović, God dwelt even in their bodies in spiritual wise - relics and reliquaries in Medieval Serbia, in: Byzantine Heritage and Serbian Art II. Sacral Art of the Serbian Lands in the Middle Ages (eds. D. Vojvodić/D. Popović, Belgrade 2016) 133-146.

Relations

Artifacts (5)
Name Class Description
Monastery of Dečani, Coffin-Reliquary (Sarcophagus) with the Relics of the Saint King Stefan Dečanski Artifact The coffin-reliquary with the relics of the Saint Serbian King Stefan Uroš III Dečanski (reigned 1321-1331) in the Monastery of Dečani represents the only surviving and hence particularly valuable medieval Serbian coffin-reliquary (sarcophagus). Its carved geometric, floral and zoomorphic ornaments finished by painting and gilding evoke the heavenly abode the Saint dwells in. From the standpoint of function, it is undoubtedly an object of the highest rank. Its shape and location – raised on tall legs beneath the Saint King's fresco portrait at the side of the iconostasis – not only materialised the Saint’s presence, but also enabled all permitted forms of veneration. In addition to the usual "see and touch", the custom of lying or pulling oneself under the coffin was and still is believed to be particularly benedictory. The royal relics have been perfectly preserved and therefore remain the foci of veneration to this day.
Relic of the Head of Saint Gregory, Now Lost Artifact In the written account of the Grand Župan Desa of Raška (reigned 1144-1165) the reliquary with a cross and enamelled decoration for the head of Saint Gregory is mentioned, and "duo saculi cum reliquiis, qui portantur ad gulam".
Reliquary of the Serbian Queen Jelena Anžujska, Now Lost Artifact According to written accounts, the Serbian Queen Jelena Anžujska (ca. 1230-1314) donated a Staurotheke to the Monastery of Sopoćani. The richly bejewelled reliquary in the form of a cross enshrined five pieces of the Holy Rood and is now lost.
Staurotheke of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin Artifact The staurotheke of the Serbian King Stefan Uroš II Milutin (reigned 1282-1321) is kept in the Dominican Monastery in Dubrovnik, Croatia. It has the form of a double cross of sheet silver with twisted rosettes at the ends of the arms and the donor's inscription engraved on the front and back of the handle. The important inscription states that the reliquary was commissioned by King Milutin and Bishop Gregory II of Raška for the church of the Saints Peter and Paul in Ras. It also contains the donors' prayer for the forgiveness of sins, sanction for whoever should dare harm the church or the Holy Rood, and verses about the protective powers of the True Cross.
True Cross Reliquary, King Stefan Vladislav, Now Lost Artifact An 18th century description of a now lost staurotheke, which the Serbian King Stefan Vladislav (reigned 1234-1243) donated to the Athonite Monastery of St. Paul, describes this, today lost, staurotheke. In the upper part of the lid were depicted the Crucifixion and Christ enthroned surrounded by Saints, and in the lower part a king in proskynesis and an inscription in Old Serbian. The inscription, in which the ktetor prays for protection and assistance by the True Cross, reveals not only the identity of the king, but also the role of the relic in the royal ideology of the Nemanjić dynasty.
Places (1)
Name Class Begin End Description
Sopoćani Monastery, Church of the Holy Trinity Place The Sopoćani Monastery is situated near the source of the river Raška in the region of Ras in the vicinity of the city of Novi Pazar. The church was built by the Serbian King Stefan Uroš I (reigned 1243-1276), the son of the Serbian King Stefan Prvovenčani (reigned 1196-1227) around 1260 (PJŠ Pam., 70 - sьzida že crьkovь Sopokjani). The exonarthex and a bell tower were added later, in the first half of the 14th century (resembling the Žiča Monastery). The church is a mausoleum of members of the royal Nemanjić members: the King's mother Anna Dandolo, Stefan Prvovenčani, Grand Duke Djordje and King Uroš I himself. It is a single nave edifice with three bays and a dome and has a three-partite semicircular apse as well as a narthex. On the sides of the narthex are separate chambers. On the outside, the edifice resembles a three-nave basilica (all side rooms, next to the altar, choirs and chapels are placed under one, single-pitched roof), which is also the element that distinguishes this building from the others of the Raška style group. The windows and portals were done by masters from the coastal area in the Romanesque style. The entire church was fresco painted around 1270. After being damaged, the church was reconstructed in the 15th century (at the time some alterations were made). After the Ottoman rule, in the 20th century, this site was reconstructed and renovated.