The Monastery of Svojnovo is located two kilometers from the Village of Svojnovo. The church within the monastery grounds is dedicated to St. Nicholas and was built in 1812 during the time of Karađorđe, as recorded on the marble plaque above the entrance. According to tradition, a medieval church once stood on this site, and its foundations were used for constructing the newer building. The church was burned and destroyed multiple times by the Ottomans, but it was rebuilt in the mentioned year by the district Prince Mileta Radojković (Serbian Knez Mileta Radojković). However, the church acquired its current form somewhat later when the wooden ceiling was replaced with a masonry vault. The church is a small single-nave structure with a trefoil base, built of roughly hewn stone and plastered both inside and out. The main entrance doors are wooden, while the side doors on the southern choir apse are adorned with ornaments. The central part appears to have been built on older foundations, as it features architectural elements of the Morava School. The church floors are a combination of square and rectangular bricks. There are no traces of frescoes on the walls. The ceiling is shaped as a semi-barrel vault made of reeds and mortar. The roof is gabled and covered with interlocking tiles, while the apses are semi-domed. Inside, at the level of the window openings, ceramic acoustic vessels are arranged. Although there are no specific architectural details, the design of the base indicates an intriguing structure of the Morava architectural school.
MONASTERY SVOJNOVO,
CHURCH OF SAINT NICHOLAS
The Monastery of Svojnovo in Svojnovo was designated as a cultural heritage – cultural monument, by the Decision of the Cultural Heritage Preservation Institute Kragujevac, No. 287/1, dated May 8, 1972.
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