Monastery Pokajnica, with a wooden church, symbolizes the fate of three Serb early 19th century leaders, Djordje Petrovic, Milos Obrenovic, and Vujica Vulicevic. One could say that it stands as a symbol of the fate of Serbia. The church was built by Vujic, by order of Prince Milos, in atonement for the murder of Black Djordje the previous year. The iconostasis, the work of icon painter Konstantin, bears the writing: "To the memory of master Vujica."
In the immediate vicinity of Pokajnica is Radovanjski Lug, where on 26 July 1817 Karadjordje was killed. This is the initial location of his grave, and of the Zahvalnica church, constructed in 1930 at the order of Aleksandar Karadjordjevic I, in memory of his ancestor.
Orasac is a small town, close to Arandjelovac, where in 1804 the First Serbian Uprising was organized, under the leadership of Karadjordje. This day, Sretenje, marks the beginning of modern Serbia, and is celebrated, since the year 2000, as a Serb national holiday.
Topola is the ancestral home of the Karadjordjevic royal family, and together with Karadjordjev Grad and the hill Oplenac it is the site of landmarks belonging to the Karadjordjevic heritage.
Karadjordjev Grad embraces: a church, built in 1806 by Karadjordje, where in 1819 his bodily remains were transferred and buried for the second time by the order of Prince Milos, a monument to Karadjordje, and a museum of his time.
In Oplenac, the feature landmark is a marble church dedicated to St. Djordje, built from 1910 to 1934. The patrons were King Petar I and King Aleksandar Karadjordjevic I. The tombs of both patrons, the other members of the Karadjordjevic family, and Karadjordje are in this church. This was the third burial place for Karadjordje's remains, which were transferred in 1930. The walls are entirely decorated in mosaics, whose size makes this church second in the world in this respect, and priceless in value.
The church in Brezna, like the town itself, is typical of the ethnic and cultural motifs of Serbia at the time of the 1st and 2nd Uprising. The church was built from 1836 to its consecration in 1840 and is the work of the renowned architect Nastas Stefanovic. The construction of the church was financed by Prince Milos. The beautiful, classical iconostasis was made, from 1851 to 1852, by a southern painter, Konstantin Dimitrije Anastasijevic I. Within the present-day church, parts of the original construction made of wood, dating from 19th century are still preserved. |