Holy Virgin Church Donja Kamenica

The Church of The Holy Virgin is situated in the village of Donja Kamenica in East Serbia. The Holy Virgin Church Donja Kamenica lies on the right bank of the so-called Trgovishki Timok River, 15 km south-east of Knjaževac, in East Serbia. As there are almost no preserved sources on the Holy Virgin Church in Donja Kamenica, until the recent times all conclusions on its history and founders (patrons) were based on the untrue historical facts, that the Church in Donja Kamenica is endowment of unknown nobleman from the first half of the 14th century. The recent research of Živojin Andrejić claim that “Founder – patron of church reconstruction and fresco painting was ruler Belaur – Bela Uroš, the brother of despot and the future tzar Michail III Shishman”.
Živojin Andrejić also writes : “The architecture of the church in Donja Kamenica near Knjazevac with two towers, that are distinctive for the churches of Raška (byzantine-Roman) style towards the end of the 12th century and at the beginning of the 13th century, also backs up this opinion.” The basis of the Holy Virgin Church in Donja Kamenica is the inscribed cross with domes over the lateral parts. Small in dimensions, with its narrow and high dome, the church was built of solid material. The architecture of the Church of the Holy Virgin is the combination of Romanesque and Gothic and Moravian architectural styles. Frescoes were painted around 1320 and are considered very valuable in regard with their style and iconography, some of them unique pieces of art in the Serbian Medieval fresco decoration. The fresco “The Last Supper” is the most important composition for its artistic value. By their authenticity and artistic style frescoes of the scenes : “Christ Nativity”, “Mourning of the Christ”, “Assumption of the Mother of God”, unique scene of embraced portraits of St. Warriors Saint Theodor Tiron and Saint Theodor Stratilat as well as scenes of the life of St. Petka in the southern tower and the northern tower of St. Nicholas’ deserve attention. The Holy Virgin Church in Donja Kamenica is the most authentic and the most significant artistic monument within the Orthodox Bishopric of Timok. The archaeological and conservation works carried out in 1979 until 1981 found out necropolis with 70 graves around the Church. The Holy Virgin Church in Donja Kamenica has been conserved.