ÉGLISE SAINT-JEAN-BAPTISTE DE CRKOLEZ
This small Serbian Orthodox church (Црква Светог Јована Крститеља у Црколезу/Crkva Svetog Jovana Krstitelja u Crkolezu, Kisha e Shën Gjon Pagëzorit në Cerkolez) dates back to the 14th century. It is one of the few survivors from the Klina region, where most of the Serbian medieval heritage was destroyed during the 20th century by the Albanian nationalists. It is located in the village of Cerkolez/Crkolez, which has a population of just over 300, of which 3% are Serbs (40% before 1999). The church was commissioned in 1335 by Radoslav, a local Serbian nobleman who became a monk under the name Jovan (John) at the end of his life and was buried here in 1395. The church and village then became a metochurch (dependency) of the Russian monastery of St Panteleimon on Mount Athos (Greece). Classified as a cultural monument of exceptional importance by Serbia since 1958, the church contains fragments of the original frescoes, but most of the walls were repainted in 1672-1673 by Radul, a prolific artist who is credited with the decoration of the Chapel of St. Nicholas in the monastery of Peć. Note a beautiful scene of the Last Judgment and the inscriptions in the vernacular, not in Old Slavonic, which is quite rare. The iconostasis retains its eight large icons painted by Radul. The church also serves as a storage place for icons from the old churches in the area. Finally, in the garden the hundred-year-old mulberry tree is from the Sham mulberry tree, the oldest tree in the country located at the Peć Monastery.
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