Serbia in eastern Europe is one of our homeschool countries-of-the-week, so why not spend aΒ few minutes today learning about one of Serbia’s World Heritage Sites: the Studenica Monastery.
The Studenica Monastery is one of the most historically significant medieval monasteries in eastern Europe:
Studenica Monastery, located in the RaΕ‘ka district of central Serbia, is the largest and richest of Serbiaβs Orthodox monasteries. It was founded near Studenica river in the late 12th century by Stefan Nemanja, also known as Saint Simeon, who established the medieval Serbian state. His remains, as well as those of his wife Anastasia and of the first Serbian king, Stephen the First-Crowned, rest in this monastery. It is there that Stefan Nemanjaβs youngest son, Saint Sava NemanjiΔ, initiated the independent Serbian Orthodox Church in 1219 and wrote the first literary work in the Serbian language. The complexβs two principal monuments, the Church of the Virgin and the Kingβs Church, enshrine priceless collections of 13th- and 14th-century Byzantine paintings. Studenica became the most important monastery in Serbia, and has remained so to the present day.
Studenica is an outstanding and well-preserved example of a Serbian Orthodox Church monastery. Enclosed by an almost circular wall strengthened with two fortified gates, it features an array of exceptional monuments, including the main church at the centre and monastic facilities along the encircling wall. Churches and hermitages are located in the area surrounding the monastery, as well as the quarries and vestiges of a settlement for the workers who mined and shaped the marble used to build the Church of the Virgin.
The Church of the Virgin, which served as a model for other monastic churches in the region, was built in the distinctive RaΕ‘ka School of eastern medieval church architecture that blended the Romanesque and Byzantine styles. The exterior of the domed single-nave church is reminiscent of Italian Romanesque cathedrals, while interior wall paintings in the naos and the sanctuary reflect trends of monumental paintings that emerged after the fall of the Byzantine capital of Constantinople to the Crusaders. Characterized by a new concept of space and a new expressiveness, these paintings represent a milestone in the histories of both Byzantine and Western art.
The modestly scaled Kingβs Church was founded in 1314 by King Milutin, who commissioned the renowned Salonican painters Michael and Eutychius to decorate the churchβs interior with frescoes. At the Kingβs Church these court painters created the most perfect expression of their style. Their remarkable Cycle of the Life of the Virgin Mary is among the leading works of Byzantine art, its density of forms, volumetric rendering of faces as well as bright colors, shadows, and light being perfectly executed aΒ secco. (World Heritage Centre #389)
You can find a gallery of additional photos of the Studenica Monastery on the World Heritage Centre’s website.
World Heritage Sites are cultural or natural landmarks of international significance, selected by their home countries and recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. More than a thousand such sites have been designated in over 160 countries, and we feature one every Wednesday, drawn from one of our homeschool countries-of-the-week. You can find a complete list of World Heritage Sites online at the World Heritage Centre and in Wikipedia.
The World Heritage Centre also has a free and comprehensive World Heritage education kit for teachers, as well as a wonderful full-color wall map of World Heritage Sites, available for the cost of shipping. Why not add them both to your own homeschool library.Β πΊ
What world treasures have you explored in your homeschool this Leo Term?Β π
β‘β The great globe itself: This is one of our regular Homeschool Geography posts featuring cultural and natural sites of international importance. Download a copy of our River Houses World Heritage Calendar and follow along with us as we tour the planet, and add your name to our weekly mailing list to get great homeschool teaching ideas delivered right to your mailbox all through the year.Β π
β‘β This is a printable lesson: Down at the bottom of this post you’ll find a custom “Print” button and icon, along with several social-media share buttons. The Print button will let you create a neat and easy-to-read copy of this little lesson, and it will even let you resize or delete elements that you may not want or need (such as images or footnotes). Give it a try today!Β π¨
β‘β Books in the running brooks: You can always turn to your River Houses almanac, atlas, and history encyclopedia for more information about any of our countries-of-the-week. The almanac has a lengthy section with detailed profiles of all the nations of the world; the endpapers of the atlas are indexes that will show you where all of the individual national and regional maps may be found; the history encyclopedia has a comprehensive collection of national histories in an appendix; and you can find additional illustrations, flags, and other mentions through the indexes in each of these volumes. For an ideal little lesson, just write the name of the Weekly World Heritage Site on your homeschool bulletin board, find its location in your atlas, read the WHC’s brief description aloud, look at a picture or two, and you’re done. Over the course of the year, without even realizing it, your students will absorb a wealth of new historical, geographical, and cultural information.Β π·πΈ
β‘β Homeschool calendars: We have a whole collection of free, printable, educational homeschool calendars and planners available on our main River Houses calendar page. They will all help you create a light and easy structure for your homeschool year. Give them a try today!Β π
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