Jošanica Monastery

Jošanica Monastery is situated 10 km west of Jagodina, in Central Serbia. It lies in lush beech and oak forest, in the picturesque gorge of Jošanica River, above which eagles fly, on the plateau between hills of Ravni Gaj and Čukara. The winding road passes beside the Jošanica Monastery, that from the village of Siokovac, from the west descend to the bottom of the river valley, ending up on the rocky elevation of Šarenik, above which lies the Jošanicki Prnjavor, surrounded by the quarry.

Church of Jošanica Monastery is tiny structure, with two domes, that was first dedicated to Saint Demetrios, the Holy martyr of Thesalonika, but sine more than two centuries it gained its present patron – Saint Nicolas the Miracle  worker. This small endowment, dating from the late Middle Age used to be the holy monastic community that lived in the Gorge and hills around Jošanica River. There are no written documents on the time when Josanica Monastery was established. Despite the evidences that the church was erected in the 17th century, there are some legends that it was built much earlier, during the reign of Prince Lazar. The first document on the reconstruction of the church dates from 1786. During the reconstruction works carried out between 1856 and 1858 the church appearance changed substantially, so restoration was performed between 1967 and 1971. Jošanica Monastery is surrounded with large necropolis that evidences on the great significance of the shrine. On the stone terraces, towards the hills, north from the church, there is the wooden bell-tower, while the Old Dormitory, one floor structure, with porch and outside stairs, built in the Balkan-Oriental architectural style, is situated in the western part of the monastery yard. Some documents testify that in the past there were several structures behind the Old Dormitory – large storage for wheat, smoking chamber, living quarter, and the old belfry was located south of the church. Vast monastery estate spreads around the monastery, starting from the bottom of Jošanica River that contain the new Dormitory, two large fish ponds, stables and an old watermill. Despite the fact that Jošanica Monastery lies secluded deep in hills and forests of Black Peak Mountain, it suffered during its history. That was the reason that locals of surrounding villages and Jagodina until the present day gather in the Monastery and restore and adorn it.