Old Cemetery in Vinča is located in the center of the village, on the southern side of a small plateau, and is very well preserved. It contains sculpted monuments dated from 1819 to 1920s. Over a hunderd tombstones, unique in their typological and stylistic characteristic, have been documented and valorized. They were carved or sculpted on flat stone or sandstone surfaces. A large number of them follow the principle of roadside monuments, with shallow relief carvings of heads, busts or full figures. Deending on the period of creation, different motifs of the deceased are depicted, wearing attire appropriate to their age, social class or occupation. Common details include tools udes by the deceased during their lifetime, as well as abstract motifs like the Tree of Life, doves, and vegetal or cross-shaped ornaments. Texts are most often engraved on the western side, varying in the content and interpretation. The memorials from early 20th century are equally significant, showing influences of urban sculpture, with the most representative being the ‘World War I Monument’. This concentration of tombstones in such a large number represents the largest documented preserved complex in central Serbia.
OLD CEMETERY IN VINČA
The Old Cemetery in Vinča near Topola has been declared a cultural monument by the Decision of the Topola Municipal Assembly
No. 020-65/85-07 from May 23, 1985.
Their artistic value is on par with similar interpretations of other significant collections in Serbia. The color is still recognizable in many cases today, and their craftsmanship is quite consistent and of high quality.
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