Manasija Monastery

Manasija Monastery, also known as Resava, is located near Despotovac, approximately 30 kilometres from the Belgrade–Niš highway. It is one of the most significant monuments of Serbian medieval culture and a supreme example of the Moravian architectural school.

The monastery was commissioned by Despot Stefan Lazarević, known as Stefan the Tall, and built between 1407 and 1418. Some researchers believe his remains rest beneath a white marble slab in the southern section of the church. From its very founding, the monastery became a cultural centre, home to the renowned Resava School — a scriptorium that continued producing and translating manuscripts throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, even after the fall of the Serbian Despotate.

The monastic complex comprises the Church of the Holy Trinity, a partially ruined dining hall and school building to the south of the church, and a fortified enclosure with 11 towers, the most prominent being the Despot's Tower on the north side.

The surviving frescoes are considered among the greatest achievements of Serbian medieval painting. Particularly notable are the depictions of warrior-saints on the north and south walls, a composition showing Despot Stefan holding a charter and a model of the monastery, the Communion of the Apostles, and a procession of Church fathers.

The monastery suffered repeated destruction under Ottoman rule (1439, 1456, 1476, 1734) and was restored in 1735, 1806, 1810, and 1845. Comprehensive conservation work was carried out in 1956.