Gradac Monastery, Medieval Orthodox monastery in Raska region, Serbia

Gradac Monastery is an Orthodox monastery from the Middle Ages located in the Raska region, sitting on a raised plateau above the Gradacka River. The complex consists of two churches, monastic buildings, and gardens nestled among the forested slopes of Mount Golija.

Queen Helen of Anjou, wife of King Uroš I, built the monastery between 1277 and 1282 during the reign of her son Stefan Dragutin. She died on 8 February 1314, and her coffin was carried from her court at Brnjaci to a sarcophagus in the church despite a harsh winter. Her sons Dragutin and Milutin gave rich gifts to the foundation, and she became known as Jelena Gradac and was proclaimed a saint.

Queen Helen dedicated the monastery to the Annunciation and gave it to monks, who made it a male house; it is now a nunnery. The nuns, some of them academic painters, run icon-painting and weaving workshops and also keep bees and gardens. The smaller church on the grounds, dedicated to St Nicholas, served as a court chapel.

The site is reached by a path that climbs from the village of Gradac, offering views as you walk up the hillside. Wear sturdy shoes since the approach involves rural terrain and can be steep in places.

The naos holds two founder's sarcophagi, both now empty: the larger double tomb was probably made for Queen Helen and King Uroš I, but Uroš was buried at Sopoćani. Helen died on 8 February 1314 and her coffin was carried to Gradac through harsh winter; her relics later disappeared.