MONASTÈRE DE TAVNA

This Serbian Orthodox monastery (Manastir Tavna/Манастир Тавна) is the oldest in Semberija. It benefits from a beautiful setting, on the banks of the Tavna, a tributary of the Drina, and at the foot of the Majevica massif (916 m above sea level). The complex was first founded in the 11th century by Jovan Vladimir, Serbian king of Dioclea (southern Montenegro and northern Albania), then refounded in the late 14th century by Stefan Dragutin of the prestigious Serbian dynasty of Nemanjić. Constantly looted, but spared during the last war, it retains its 14th century catholicon dedicated to the Trinity. This elegant single-nave church (18.95 x 6.15 m) is topped by a 12.75-meter-high dome and a 21.32-meter bell tower added in 1884. All the original frescoes were lost and the interior was repainted in 1995 by the artist Dragan Marunić, who is also responsible for the decoration of the St. Basil's Monastery in Bijeljina. The iconostasis dates from 1984. Surrounded by walls, the complex houses annex buildings restored or rebuilt from 1954 to the present day, as well as the tomb of the partisan leader Zdravko Jovanović, killed here in 1943 by the Ustasha (Croatian nationalists). A community of sixteen nuns and two monks occupies the site and earns its income from a large farm. In the neighboring village of Banjica a small folklore complex pays tribute to the Serbian haiduk (brigand) Starina Novak (1530-1601), who, according to local legend, financed the restoration of the monastery in the late 16th century.