Cetinje Monastery, Serbian Orthodox monastery in Cetinje, Montenegro
Cetinje Monastery is a Serbian Orthodox building in the center of Cetinje at an altitude of 670 meters (2200 feet), with white walls on a stone foundation and a red-tiled roof. The complex includes the main church, a small museum holding liturgical items and manuscripts, and a courtyard enclosed by low walls.
Metropolitan Danilo I founded the current building in 1701 on the ruins of an older structure destroyed by Venetian forces in 1692. It became the spiritual center of Montenegro and the seat of the ruling Petrovic-Njegos bishop dynasty during the 18th century.
The church holds a copy of the 15th-century Oktoih edition, one of the earliest Slavic printed books produced by Zrnjevic in Venice. Visitors now see the carved wooden screen and iconostasis featuring works by Greek and Montenegrin painters from the 18th century.
The compound opens daily for visitors, with religious services and museum viewing scheduled at different times. Those wishing to see the relics and liturgical collection should dress modestly and move quietly through the rooms.
The relics of Saint Peter of Cetinje, who wrote the first Montenegrin legal code in 1796 while serving as metropolitan, rest in a silver shrine inside the church. His code regulated blood feuds, family disputes, and local administration at a time when Montenegro had no central state authority.
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