The Reževići Monastery () is a medieval

Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian churches. The majority of the populat ...

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

located in Katun Reževići village between

Budva Budva (Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Будва, or ) is a town in the Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro. It had 27,445 inhabitants as of 2023, and is the centre of Budva Municipality. The coastal area around Budva, called the Budv ...

and Petrovac in modern-day

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

. The monastery has two churches. According to a local legend, the 'Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God' was built in the 1220s by King

Stefan Nemanjić Stefan Nemanjić ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Немањић, ), known as Stefan the First-Crowned (, ; – 24 September 1228), was the Grand Prince of Serbia from 1196 and the King of Serbia from 1217 until his death in 1228. He was the first Se ...

(Stefan the First-Crowned), the first king of

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

while the 'Church of the Archdeacon Stefan' was built by Emperor

Stephen Uroš IV Dušan of Serbia Stephen or Steven is an English first name. It is particularly significant to Christians, as it belonged to Saint Stephen ( ), an early disciple and deacon who, according to the Book of Acts, was stoned to death; he is widely regarded as the firs ...

in 1351.

Etymology

The name of the monastery is derived from the name of the clan Reževići, one of clans of the

Paštrovići The Paštrovići ( sh-Cyrl, Паштровићи, ; or ) is a historical tribe and region in the Montenegrin Littoral. Paštrovići stretches from the southernmost part of the Bay of Kotor, from the cape of Zavala to Spič. Its historical ca ...

tribe.

Legends

According to local legends, there was a column in front of a guesthouse on the road between Budva and Petrovac in the

Kingdom of Serbia The Kingdom of Serbia was a country located in the Balkans which was created when the ruler of the Principality of Serbia, Milan I of Serbia, Milan I, was proclaimed king in 1882. Since 1817, the Principality was ruled by the Obrenović dynast ...

in which a wine vessel full of wine was kept for thirsty passersby. One legend says that

Raymond IV, Count of Toulouse Raymond of Saint-Gilles ( 1041 – 28 February 1105), also called Raymond IV of Toulouse or Raymond I of Tripoli, was the count of Toulouse, duke of Narbonne, and margrave of Provence from 1094, and one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 10 ...

drank from this vessel during the

First Crusade The First Crusade (1096–1099) was the first of a series of religious wars, or Crusades, initiated, supported and at times directed by the Latin Church in the Middle Ages. The objective was the recovery of the Holy Land from Muslim conquest ...

. According to another legend,

Stefan the First-Crowned Stefan Nemanjić ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Немањић, ), known as Stefan the First-Crowned (, ; – 24 September 1228), was the Grand Prince of Serbia from 1196 and the King of Serbia from 1217 until his death in 1228. He was the first Se ...

, the first king of

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, drank wine from this wine vessel during his visit to his cousin, Venetian Doge Dandolo. Later, in 1223 or 1226, he allegedly built 'The Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God' () near the guesthouse. In 1351, a church dedicated to

Saint Stephen Stephen (; ) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first martyr of Christianity."St ...

—the 'Church of the Archdeacon Stefan' ()—was built next to The Church of the Dormition of the Mother of God аgainst the order issued by

during his trip from

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...

to Skadar. The column with wine vessel (kept full by the population of surrounding villages to show their hospitality) survived until the mid 19th century.

History

The monastery was a gathering place for the members of the

tribe who traditionally held meetings there to make important decisions or to elect their chieftain. The last chieftain elected by the Paštrovići assembly held at this monastery was

Stefan Štiljanović Stefan Štiljanović ( sr-cyr, Стефан Штиљановић; fl. 1498 – 1543) was the last prominent Serbian nobleman of the period of Ottoman subjugation of Serbia, and according to folklore, he was the last Despot of Serbia. He rul ...

. Both churches and guesthouse were deserted for some time after they had been plundered and razed by the pirates of

Ulcinj Ulcinj () is a town in the Coastal Montenegro, Coastal region of Montenegro and the capital of Ulcinj Municipality. It has an urban population of 11,488. As one of the oldest settlements in the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic coast, it was founded in 5th ...

in the mid 15th century. In 1785, the monastery, its library and treasury were plundered by

Mahmud Pasha Bushatli Kara Mahmud Pasha (, Albanian language, Albanian: Mahmut Pashë Bushati, 1749 – 22 September 1796) was a hereditary Ottoman Empire, Ottoman Albanians, Albanian governor (''mutasarrıf'') of the Pashalik of Scutari who became ''de facto'' inde ...

. Frescoes from the beginning of the 17th century and some remains of frescoes from the 18th-century have been preserved. It is believed that they were the work of Strahinja of Budimlje, who painted frescoes in many churches at that time. Also in 1833, painter Aleksije Lazović worked on the icons of the "Dormition of the Mother of God" Serbian Orthodox Church in Reževići Monastery, near Petrovac na Moru.

Notes

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rezevici monastery 13th-century Serbian Orthodox church buildings Serbian Orthodox monasteries in Montenegro Budva Municipality Nemanjić dynasty endowments Medieval Serbian Orthodox monasteries Medieval history of Montenegro

Etymology

Legends

History

See also

Notes

Further reading

External links