Kovilje Monastery, Serbian Orthodox monastery in Ivanjica, Serbia

Kovilje Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox monastery in Ivanjica municipality comprising two churches, one built into a cave dedicated to Archangel Gabriel and another to Saint Nicholas. The complex houses religious artifacts and manuscripts that document monastic life across generations.

The monastery's founding is placed in the 12th or early 13th century, judged from surviving fresco remains and tradition; one account names King Stefan the First-Crowned as its patron. The first written mention is in the Kruševac Pomenik of 1606. In 1644 Metropolitan Gavrilo Raić found it long neglected, restored it, and in 1651 gave it a decorated Gospel for the Church of St Nicholas.

The Church of Saint Nicholas displays frescoes from the 13th century showing saints, reflecting how medieval Serbian Orthodox communities expressed their faith through art. These religious images shaped the spiritual experience of worshippers who gathered in this space.

It is advisable to contact the monastery administration in advance to arrange visits and see the historical spaces. Planning ahead allows visitors to make the most of their experience and to prepare for guided tours.

The hegumen Amvrosije is the monastery's only monk and lives there with tamed animals: two wolves, a fox, an eagle, a snake, a raven, a rabbit and an owl. The Serb-American community of Libertyville donated a motorcycle and a four-wheel-drive vehicle, and his life was filmed for the documentary "Monah i vuk".