Studenica

a monastery in southern Serbia, near the city of Kraljevo. Studenica, a group of outstanding examples of medieval Serbian architecture, was founded in the late 12th century by Prince Stefan Nemanja. The most impressive building of the ensemble is the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin (1183–96), a single-nave structure of the RaSka school featuring Byzantine composition and facades decorated with Romanesque-style sculptures. The interior frescoes date from 1209 and the 13th and 16th centuries. Other buildings in the monastery include the Church of St. Joakim and St. Ana, known as the King’s Church (1314; frescoes, early 14th century), and the Church of St. Nikola (late 13th century; frescoes of the same period). There are remains of fortress walls, of a tower, and of a refectory. The vestry contains a large collection of Serbian icons, manuscripts, and works of decorative and applied art.