| Piva Monastery Pivski Manastir Church of Sveta Bogorodica (the Theotokos) Church of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God | |
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 Piva Monastery | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Serbian Orthodox |
| Leadership | Herzeg Metropolitan Savatija |
| Status | Active |
| Location | |
| Location | Piva, Montenegro,Montenegro |
  Location of Pivski Manastir or Piva Monastery | |
| Coordinates | 43°06′36″N18°49′07″E / 43.11°N 18.8186°E /43.11; 18.8186 |
| Architecture | |
| Completed | Original 1573, relocated in 1982 |
| Materials | Stone |
ThePiva Monastery (Serbian:Манaстир Пивa,romanized: Manastir Piva), also known as theChurch of Sv. Bogorodica or theChurch of the Assumption of the Holy Mother of God, is located inPiva, Montenegro near the source of thePiva River in northernMontenegro. Built between 1573 and 1586, it was rebuilt in another location in 1982. It is the largestSerbian Orthodox church constructed during theOttoman occupation in the 16th and 17th centuries. Noted for itsfrescoes, the monastery's treasures also include ritual objects, rareliturgical books, art, objects of precious metals and apsalm from theCrnojevići printing press (1493–96), which was the first in theBalkans. These are displayed in the monastery's museum.
Founded in 1573,[1] or 1575,[2] and completed in 1586 through the expenditures of theMetropolitan bishop ofZahumlje and HerzegovinaSavatije Sokolović,[3] who later became theSerbian Orthodox patriarch,[4] the monastery is dedicated to theDormition of the Theotokos.[5] The construction workers were brothers named Gavrilo and Vukašin.[6]
Piva Monastery is included within theEparchy of Budimlja-Nikšić. In 1982, a new reservoir, created by the Piva Hydro Electric Project, required moving the monastery. Stone by stone it was moved to the village ofGoransko nearLake Mratinje.[7][8][9]
Piva Monastery is located in the village ofPiva, just south ofGoransko in northern Montenegro. It is accessible along theE-762 road, on the way toFoča. It lies approximately 55 kilometres (34 mi) fromNikšić and is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south ofPlužine.[1]
The monastery was originally located at the source of the Piva River, approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) away from and 100 metres (330 ft) below the junction of the proposedMratinje Dam, ahydroelectric plant. Begun in 1969 and completed in 1982, the monastery was moved to its current position, which included the removal and replacement of over 1000 fresco fragments, covering 1,260 square metres (13,600 sq ft).[10][4][11]
Piva is a small stone structure.[2][11] Its construction includes three naves with a taller middle nave. There is no cupola. The monastery contains archives, a library, and a treasury with 183 books and nearly 280 other items reported in 1991, including ritual objects, rareliturgical books, art and objects of precious metals.[8][12] Also featured is apsalm from theCrnojevići printing press (1493–1496), which was the first printing press in theBalkans.[8][13] It is dated to 1494 and was discovered by chance among other papers in the library of the monastery.[14]
Much of the church was decorated by Greek painters between 1604 and 1606 and contains many frescoes.[15] However, the upper porch area was painted by a local priestStrahinja of Budimlje; this includedAkathist to the Mother of God. Other parts of the church, dating from 1626,[16] were painted byKozma who also painted many of the icons on theiconostasis. The icons of St. George and the Dormition of the Virgin are dated to about 1638–1639.[17] The artistZograf Longin painted the throne icons of the Mother of God, Christ and Assumption of the Mother of God.[4] Piva,Morača andMileševa monasteries have been described as "breathtaking medieval masterpieces that store ancient writings and works of art".[18]
The church has been provided with drainage arrangements to prevent seepage of water inside the church so that the frescoes are protected from effects of humidity. In 2008, the U.S. Embassy atPodgorica provided $22,200 for the reconstruction of the drainage system.[10]
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