Pavlovac Monastery
Pavlovac Monastery is located on Kosmaj Mountain, in the village of Koraćica, beside the Pavlovac stream, after which it got its name. Monastery was built according to wish of despot Stefan Lazarević. At the end of the 14th century disciples of Rade Borović – “Rade the constructor”, who was the court architect, completed the Pavlovac Monastery. Monastery was in ruins for about 280 years to be restored in the second half of the 16th century. It was in Pavlovac Monastery in 1690 that the final Liturgy was served by Patriarch Arsenije Čarnojević before the Great Migration to Hungary of Serbs persecuted by Turks from their homes. However, the monks of the Monastery would not have left their spiritual sanctuary and Ottomans assassinated them and burnt and destroyed the Monastery to the ground. Relics of killed monks are specially marked and laid in the foundations of the Church of Pavlovac Monastery.
Pavlovac Monastery was reconstructed in 1967. The Church was built of crushed stones and quick line. The monastic complex of Pavlovac Monastery consists of the church, Monastery Dormitory in the southern side of the churchyard and most probably the former summer residence of despot Stefan Lazarević, in the north of the church. The Monastery is dedicated to Saint Nicholas. One gets to the Pavlovac Monastery taking the road from Sopot to the village of Koraćica, turning first right after entering the village, until the signpost for the Monastery itself.
After transfer of the Serbian capital from Krusevac to Belgrade in 1405, there was probably performed reconstruction of the old church structures. The Pavlovac Monastery was the newly built monastery, first time recorded in the founding charter of despot Stefan, written in the „Pavlovce“ Monastery. The founding charter dates from November 1424 while the stay of despot there confirm that the monastery construction was already completed in that time of this year. If we consider the construction of such monastic complex might have lasted for particular number of years, the time of beginning of construction of the Pavlovac Monastery may be approximately dated to the second decade of the 15th century. “Nemanja Markovic, 600 godina manastira Pavlovac”
Close to the Pavlovac Monastery there is the Markovac village, where despot Stefan Lazarević suddenly died in 1427. Above the Monastery, beside the road, there is the stone sarcophagus and the fountain dedicated to Stefan Lazarević. Pavlovac Monastery is active male monastic community and monks take care about it.
