Ljubostinja Monastery

Ljubostinja was built between 1388 and 1405 by Princess Milica, the widow of Prince Lazar, who retired here as a nun and gathered around her the widows of the nobility; among them was Jefimija, whose embroidered Praise of Prince Lazar is one of the earliest works of Serbian literature by a named woman. The church is Morava school, with the characteristic trefoil plan, banded masonry and carved decoration, and the builder Rade Borović left his name cut into the threshold, an unusual signature for the period. Frescoes survive in part. The monastery is a working convent set in a quiet wooded valley with a stream, and it remains a place of some significance in Serbian cultural memory for the women associated with it.

History

Princess Milica began the convent at the end of 1388 as the first women's monastery in Serbia, and legend places it where she first saw Prince Lazar, in the valley of the Ljubostinja and Sušica streams; fuller written records survive only from 1780 (Wikipedia, Ljubostinja).

What to look for

• The Morava-school church - trefoil plan with banded stone and brick.
• Carved doorways - the decorated portals and the builder's signature.
• Surviving frescoes - the painted programme in the church interior.
• The working convent - a living community in a wooded valley.

When to go

April to October for the setting; the church is open year round. Services take precedence and visits should work around them. Weekends bring more visitors from Kruševac and Kraljevo.

Things to know

The church is small and the visit takes under an hour. Frescoes are partially preserved and dark. Modest dress is required and photography inside is usually not allowed. There is little interpretation and almost none in English.

Nearby

Kruševac lies east; Kalenić monastery is north.

Key facts