Davidovica Monastery
Davidovida Monastery is positioned on Lim River near Brodarevo and Prijepolje in the south-west Serbia and dates from the 13th century. It was built on remains of the Byzantine basilica from the 6th century as endowment of the Nemanjic Family descendant, actually the monk David /the great duke Dimitrije Vukanovich/, the grandson of Stefan Nemanja after whom Davidovica Monastery got its name. Davidovica Monastery is the only Orthodox shrine whose contract on the construction was preserved and recently found among the historical records and scribes of Dubrovnik. This contract was signed in 1281 by the monk David and builders from Dubrovnik and confirms that the maritime master Desin de Ris and his son Blaz are to build the monastic church for 150 golden coins.
The Monastery of Davidovica was built by Dmitar Vukanovich, son of Vukan Nemanjic, who was named David when he become monk and was buried in the Monastery as the founder. There is the legend that bodies of Jugović brothers killed in the Battle on Kosovo Field were buried here as well with the help of their sister Milica, the tragic widow of Prince Lazar. This is testified by numerous tombs around the Monastery.
The Davidovica monastery was first time destroyed in the late 15th century when the Ottomans occupied territory of the Polimlje area /around Lim Rier/. Davidovica Monastery was demolished again by the Ottomans and abandoned after the Great Migration of Serbs at the end of the 17th century, to remain in ruins for next centuries with the open roof and exposed to harsh weather conditions. The Epiphany church of Davidovica Monastery was entirely demolished and without ceilings and somewhere without the upper parts of the walls it waited the 20th century. So, the church remained with only fragments of frescoes from the second half of the 16th century.
The Davidovica Monastery was in 1997 fully reconstructed and thoroughly rebuilt with great efforts of the historian Slavoljub Pušica, the director of the Museum in Prijepolje, supported and funded by the Ministry of culture of Republic of Serbia. The reconstruction works were successfully carried out by a competent project of the Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments in Kraljevo and under the supervision of architect Veljko Vuckovic.
Davidovica Monastery is one nave church with the apse and the dome and small side-chapels covered with domes. Davidovica Monastery belongs to the Rashka School of architecture. Stone from Sopotnica was used in reconstruction works, the same material used in original construction several centuries later. The archaeological excavations were carried out when 170 skeletons were found within the walls of the Monastery. Davidovica Monastery celebrates the Day of Annunciation.
Davidovica Monastery was consecrated by His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle when the Holy Liturgy attended by Metropolitan Nikolaj and the monks from Mileševa Bishopric was performed. Davidovica Monastery is located in the wilderness and secluded area or south-western Serbia, on Lim River and slopes of Jadovnik Mountain, near village of Bordarevo, 28 km south of Prijepolje.
