ARANĐELOVAC

aradjelovac, crkva brezovaca

THE NOTABLE SITE ORAŠAC

School in Orašac

The school building in Orašac has a polygonal base and is constructed with rectangular stone blocks. It is an eclectic architectural achievement with elements of both traditional and Romantic concepts of space and form, manifested in the arches, vaults, semi-circular window finishes, and a facade in the shape of a tower. According to the chronicle of the Orašac church, the cornerstone for the construction of the memorial school was laid during the celebration of the 100th anniversary of the First Uprising, at the site where the oath of the rebels was taken. Construction began after World War I and was completed in 1932. Above the entrance doors, a commemorative plaque was placed, with engraved letters painted in black. Above it, the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was displayed, but it was removed in 1954. The text on the plaque reads:

 

‘National School – A memorial to the Uprising under Karađorđe in Orašac, grateful Šumadija raises this home in honor and glory of the great Karađorđe and other deserving ancestors, who, in 1804, on this site, started the uprising and began the great work of national liberation and unification.’

Marićević’s Ravine

 

Marićević’s Ravine is the place where, in 1803, an agreement was reached for the raising of the First Serbian Uprising, which was planned for the spring of the following year. A Memorial Fountain was erected at this location in 1954 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising. It is made of stone rectangular blocks in the form of a wall. In three sections, there are marble semi-circular plaques with engraved texts related to this significant event.

Church in Orašac

 

The initiative to build the church in Orašac began in 1864, at the site where the assembly of 1804 was held. The construction of the church was completed by the autumn of 1870, when the temple was consecrated and dedicated to the Ascension of the Lord. The church is a single-nave building, solidly constructed and vaulted, with a polygonal altar apse on the eastern side. The western facade has a protruding entrance porch and a bell tower in the form of a cupola above the porch. A similar entrance porch is located on the southern side. On the northern and southern facades, there are four smaller windows, and on the altar apse, three semi-circular windows, providing ample natural light inside. The exterior is whitewashed, and the interior is paved with marble.

Overall, the church represents a building of simple architecture, with harmonious proportions and modestly worked cornices. The interior decoration is especially highlighted by pairs of pilasters connected by arches that support the roof structure. A particular effect is achieved on the interior walls, decorated with star-like patterns painted in gold on a light-blue background. The iconostasis, painted using the oil-on-wood technique, contains twenty-three icons and forms a unique whole, created by the workshop of the renowned painter Steva Todorović.

Across from the church, in the Memorial Complex, there is a parish house, which houses the priest's residence and the office of the church community, built in 1933.

The Monument to Karađorđe

 

On the occasion of the two-hundredth anniversary of the raising of the First Serbian Uprising, a Monument to Karađorđe was erected within the Historic Site of Orasac. The monument is made of white wedding marble and stands 3.40 meters tall. It was erected by the Municipality of Aranđelovac, and the work was done by sculptor Drinka Radovanović.

The Tombstone of Teodosije Marićević

 

This Memorial Complex is complemented by the Tombstone of Teodosije Marićević, a well-known prince and merchant from Jasenica, and an important figure in the agreements leading to the outbreak of the uprising in 1804. He was born in Orašac and was one of the candidates for the leader of the uprising. The gravestone is made of reddish-brown stone, and until 1980, it bore no epitaph. In that year, the inscription was carved: ‘+TEODOSIJE MARIĆEVIĆ + 1807.

HIS DESCENDANT RESTORED HIS GRAVE.’


The gravestone is located in the yard of the Anić family house, near the school and the church.

aradjelovac, crkva brezovaca

Courtyards

 

Within the boundaries of the historic site ‘Orašac’ there are several courtyards and houses linked to significant events and personalities from the time of the Uprising:


• Jakovljević Courtyard
• Joksimović Courtyard
• Minić Courtyard
• Švabić House and Dairy
• Todorović House
• Matijašević Courtyard
• Tomić Courtyard
  (site of the first agreement for the outbreak of the Uprising)
• Marićević Courtyard (home of TeodosijeMarićević, a well-known
  merchant of that time and participant in the agreements for the Uprising
• Savić Courtyard
• Lukić Courtyard
• Petar Jakovljević Courtyard

 

The most representative of these is Petar Jakovljević Courtyard, which represents a typical Šumadija household from the early 19th century. It includes a log house, a barn, a dairy, a beehive, and a kiln. Houses of the same prevailing type from the 19th century in Šumadija can also be found in the courtyards of Minići, Švabići, and Todorovići. The houses in the courtyards of Matijašević, Marićević, Savić, and Lukić were built somewhat later, in the second half of the century.

The Historic Site Orašac was designated as an immovable cultural heritage – notable site, by the Decision of the Assembly of the Municipality of Aranđelovac (No. 06-148/83) on June 24, 1983, and categorized as a cultural heritage of exceptional importance by the Decision of the Assembly of the People's Republic of Serbia on April 7, 1979 (‘Official Gazette of the People's Republic of Serbia’, No. 14/79).

Copyright Cogent 2016. All Rights Reserved – Cultural Heritage Preservation Institute Kragujevac