Church of the Holy Trinity demolished by Muslim Turks in 17th century: photo from 1926

The Monastery of Sopoćani, a foundation of King Urosh I, was built in the second half of the 13th century, near the source of the river Raska in the region of Ras, the centre of the Serbian medieval state. It was founded as a monastic community, with the Church of the Holy Trinity as its most important part. It was surrounded by a thick wall against which, on the inside, were built the refectory with the kitchen and a row of buildings containing monastic cells on the upper floors. The monastery was entered from two sides through wide gates. The internal surfaces of the church and the refectory were covered with wallpaintings.

King Urosh I (1243-1276) was a son of Stefan the First Crowned and a grandson of Nemania, the founder of the dynasty which ruled Serbia for over two hundred years. One of the most important rulers of the 13th century, Urosh was a wise, accomplished and well educated man who pursued astute foreign and internal policies. He strengthened the frontiers of the state, promoted its economy and increased the power of the monarchy. He had conflicts with his neighbours — the Greeks, Bulgarians, Hungarians and Ragusans — but he also contracted alliances with them and even established ties of kinship with some of their families. During his reign several leadcopper and silvermines were opened in the country with the help of Saxon miners, and this strengthened Serbia's commercial links with Italy, maintained through the maritime towns, and brought in considerable profits. King Urosh had good relations with both the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches in his country. He fostered their interests, and they supported him. Perhaps this policy was influenced by his closest relatives: his brother, Sabbas II, was the Archbishop of Serbia, his mother Anna Dandolo was from Venice, and his wife Helene was from France.

Church after first restoration works in 1926

Such favourable political conditions and economic prosperity were conducive to the development of culture, art and architecture and enabled Serbia not only to benefit fully from the heritage of Byzantine art, but also to create its own style and tradition. It is in the light of these circumstances that we can best understand the building of Sopoćani and the treasures of art and architecture that were concentrated in it. They reflect the spirit, aspirations and achievements of Urosh's epoch.

The precise year of the foundation of Sopoćani has not been recorded. The completion of the painting of the main parts of the church can be indirectly dated to between 1263 and 1270. Archbishop Sabbas II, who became the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in 1263, is represented in the procession of archbishops in the altar of the Sopoćani church, while Urosh's son Dragutin, who married the Hungarian princess Katelina by 1270 at the latest, is represented as a boy in the narthex. It can, therefore, be inferred that the wall-paintings of Sopoćani date from about 1265. The construction of the church and of the monastery buildings may have been completed a few years earlier.

Later restoration works: state from 1984

There are some grounds for the belief that King Urosh meant Sopoćani to be a cathedral church. It is certain, however, that it became the mausoleum of the royal family. The King's mother Anna Dandolo, his father Stefan the First-Crowned and his cousin Grand Prince George (Đorđe) were buried there. At the end of the eighth decade of the 13th century the founder of Sopoćani, King Urosh himself, was also laid to rest there.

The outer narthex with the bell-tower was added to the church some time later. We do not know when it was built or who its founder was. It is only possible to offer an approximate date for it, on the basis of its general design and architectural features. It belongs to the type of open narthex that was built in Serbia from the 14th century onwards, but it follows the spatial design and Romanesque details of the earlier spacious structures raised in front of the Ras-style churches. It was probably built at the very end of the 13th century, in a crucial period in the development of architecture in Serbia, after which it ceased to follow Byzantine models. Besides, the Sopoćani Memorial Book, thought to have been compiled in the time of King Milutin, refers to King Urosh as the first founder, which implies that there was a second founder by that time. There is no evidence whether it was King Milutin himself, some church dignitary or Helene (Jelena), the Queen Mother. The frescoes, in the outer narthex were painted in the time of King Dushan the Powerful (Dušan), after two reconstructions of the bell-tower. The frescoes on its walls show, among other figures, Archbishop Ioaniccius, who became the head of the Serbian Church in 1338, and Dushan, mentioned as king which means that they date from before 1346, when he was proclaimed Tsar.

Sopoćani was an important and prosperous monastery from its foundation until almost the end of the 14th century. There are records of visits and gifts made by King Milutin and Queen Helene, and the fragments of luxurious table - were and ether costly objects found during the archaeological excavations give us some idea of its former wealth.

The later history of the monastery was determined by the political circumstances which affected the entire state. It suffered the first devastations after the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 and the penetration of the Turks into Serbia. The monastery buildings were then demolished and burnt down.

The monastery was rebuilt in the time of the despotate, with alterations made necessary by considerations of security. The main entrance was enlarged and a double gate was installed, a strong tower being added to it. The refectory was reduced in size, presumably because the number of monks had diminished, but the monastery must still have been quite prosperous. This is indicated by the well-planned and solidly constructed porticoed buildings on the northern and southern sides of the monastery courtyard, the details of the reconstructed entrance and the heraldic devices on various objects for everyday use and on funerary monuments.

After restoration works in 1984: view from the north-east

In the 16th century the monks had to leave the monastery on several occasions because of the Turkish threat, but they always returned to it. During one of these departures they took the coffin with the body of King Stefan the First-Crowned to the Monastery of Crna Reka. The church lost its roof, and the outer narthex was partly demolished.

The end of the 16th and the beginning of the 17th century was a period of great prosperity for Sopoćani. This can be seen from the building activity, the most intensive since the founding of the monastery, and from the quantity and quality of earthenware and metal objects for everyday use, various coins, etc. At that time the church was reroofed, the outer narthex and bell-tower were remodelled, and almost all the monastery buildings restored. A new kitchen with store-rooms was built in the western range, and the buildings on the northern and southern sides were repaired. Now the groundfloors were also used for living quarters, with some of the old arcades being converted into cells, probably in order to accommodate an increased number of monks. The architecture of this period is notable for the excellent and lavish use of carved stone details. The frames of windows and fireplaces, as well as various other structural details, were made of carved sandstone. The monastery must have been quite wealthy, for costly lead sheeting was used to cover the new roof of the church and part of the kitchen. The numerous examples of painted pottery of exceptional artistic value from this period are mostly local work, although there are also some imported vessels.

The Turks burnt and demolished the monastery in 1689 and carried off the lead from the church roof. After this the monks did not return to it, and it remained deserted for over two hundred years, until the present century. The rare travellers who visited it in the 18th and 19th centuries recorded that it lay in ruins. The church slowly decayed: its vaults caved in, its dome fell down, and the remains of the surrounding buildings were covered with rubble and earth.