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|
 Bođani Monastery | |
 Interactive map of Bođani | |
| Monastery information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Манастир Бођани |
| Order | Serbian Orthodox |
| Established | 1478 |
| Dedicated to | Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary |
| Diocese | Eparchy of Bačka |
| Controlled churches | 1 |
| People | |
| Founder | Bogdan from Dalmatia |
| Site | |
| Location | Bođani,Bač,Serbia |
| Coordinates | 45°23′27″N19°06′10″E / 45.39083°N 19.10278°E /45.39083; 19.10278 |
| Public access | yes |
TheBođani Monastery (Serbian:Манастир Бођани,romanized: Manastir Bođani) is aSerbian Orthodoxmonastery in theBačka region, in the northernSerbian province ofVojvodina. The monastery is near the village ofBođani, in theBač municipality. Among the few Serbian Orthodox monasteries in the Bačka, Bođani is the oldest.[1]
The monastery was founded in 1478. According to myth, Bogdan, a merchant from Dalmatia, was travelling in the area when he got blind. In the vicinity of theDanube he stopped, washed his eyes at the nearby spring and his sight returned. As a gratitude, he built a monastery and dedicated it to the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In time, the monastery was named after him (Bogdan - Bođani).[1]
The church has been demolished and rebuilt several times. It was damaged in wars, burned in fires and flooded during the major floods of the Danube, like in the late 18th century or 1920s, when the church was flooded by water up to 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) high. The existing church was built in 1722. After the last major reconstruction, a glass plate was installed in front of the altar, so that archaeological remains of the previous churches can be seen.[1]
For a short period in the first half of the 1990s, Bođani became a female monastery.[1]
The monastery complex consists of the Church of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary,konaks which surround the church from three sides shaped like a Cyrillic letter "П", a garden and an estate with auxiliary objects.[1]
The church is built in theBaroque style. It is known for itsfrescoes, the work ofHristofor Žefarović, a translator of theLeonardo da Vinci'sA Treatise on Painting in the Greek language, who painted them in the 1730s. They cover over 600 m2 (6,500 sq ft) of space. Instead of working with the wet plaster, which is one of the main characteristics of the frescoes, Žefarović used theoil paint on dry plaster. The presentation of the Biblical themes is also unusual and differs from the usual ones. He gave his interpretation, which was opposite to the canonical versions, so some consider his work as the spark of the modern Serbian painting. The semicircular supporting pillars are painted with theBook of Genesis motives, while to roof frescoes depict battles between the saints and demons, which have strange, animal-like heads. SaintMargaret the Virgin, in Serbian calledOgnjena Marija ("Fiery Mary"), is shown bludgeoning the animal-like, winged and tailed demon with a hammer.[1]
Iconostasis is a superb work of art of its own. It was made in the mid-18th century by an artisan fromKiev.[1]
Bođani Monastery was declaredMonument of Culture of Exceptional Importance[1] in 1990, and it is protected byRepublic of Serbia.
The monastery garden is popular among the local population and visitors. It has over 150 different plants from all parts of the world, likeEgyptian cedar or numerous plants from the Americas. A project of planting the sequoia trees turned unsuccessful due to the climate.[1]
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