Šišatovac monastery, Serbian Orthodox monastery in Šišatovac, Serbia
Šišatovac Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastic complex in northeastern Serbia featuring a central church and residential quarters for monks. The buildings sit within rolling hills and dense forests that provide a secluded setting for the community.
Monks from Žiča, led by hegumen Teofan, fled Ottoman pressure and rebuilt a small old church dedicated to St Nicholas around 1520, dedicating it to the Nativity of the Theotokos. In 1543 the relics of St Stefan Štiljanović were brought here from Šikloš. The present large church was built from 1758 to 1778 under Vikentije Popović-Hadžilavić, and the monastery was declared a Monument of Culture of Exceptional Importance in 1990.
The monastery keeps the relics of St. Stefan Štiljanović, moved here in 1543 from Šikloš and placed in a walnut coffin inlaid with mother-of-pearl until 1760, when Bishop Vikentije Popović had a metal coffin made, wrapped in red velvet and bound with silver. The iconostasis was painted in 1794 by Grigorije Davidović-Obšić of Čalma, who in 1795 added a portrait of Bishop Vikentije inside the church.
The monastery lies on the southern slopes of western Fruška Gora, near the village of Šišatovac and the Remeta stream. The church stands at the centre of the complex, with the four-storey bell tower (1742) on its left and the cemetery chapel (1749) nearby. The monastery is an active Serbian Orthodox community, so visitors should dress modestly and avoid the church during services.
The monastery's library once held the Šišatovac Apostle, a parchment manuscript written by hieromonk Damjan in 1324 in Ždrelo near Peć. A Gospel copied at the monastery in 1560 preserves a drawing of the original 1520 church, which had no bell tower and was soon demolished.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 93,849 contributors worldwide.