history
Monastery in the Heart of Golija Preserves a Special Legend: It Concerns Queen Helen of Anjou
Gradac Monastery was built around 1270, on a gentle plateau above the Gradac River, in the style of the Raška school of architecture.
TL;DR
- Manastir Gradac was founded by Queen Helen of Anjou in the late 13th century.
- The monastery is built in the style of the Raška school of architecture.
- Queen Helen of Anjou, wife of King Uroš I Nemanjić, was known for her education and care for the poor.
- She spent her final years at the monastery and was buried there in 1314.
- A legend speaks of a stone bench by the river where the Queen found peace, which visitors still frequent for solace.