Manasija monastery, Serbian Orthodox monastery in Despotovac, Serbia
Manasija is a Serbian Orthodox monastery in Despotovac, Serbia, enclosed by high walls and eleven defensive towers. At the center stands the Church of the Holy Trinity, built in white stone with slender domes rising above the roofline.
Serbian ruler Stefan Lazarević ordered the monastery built between 1406 and 1418 to create a center for spiritual life and the arts. The School of Resava that emerged here promoted the Serbian language and produced many religious texts for the region.
The name Manasija came into use later, while older records refer to the place as Resava, after the nearby river that shapes the landscape. Today a small community of monks lives here, maintaining a daily rhythm of prayer, manual work, and welcoming visitors who arrive.
The monastery grounds are open daily to visitors who enter through the main gateway and walk through the courtyard to see the church. Advance contact is recommended for guided tours, especially if you want to hear detailed explanations about the wall paintings and the site's past.
The church preserves fragments of medieval painting from the founding period, executed with real gold leaf and ground lapis lazuli. These pigments give the holy figures an unusual glow that appears to move with changing light.
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