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7 June 2006
Poganovo monastery: Secluded in nature
From the Pirot-Sofia road take a left turn to the village of Sukovo then head south. The monastery lies at the side of the road.
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The monastery of Poganovo was constructed around 1390 as an endowment of the mighty Serbian noble, Master (Gospodin) Konstantin and his daughter Jelena, who later married the Byzantine Emperor and became mother to the last two emperors John VIII and Constantine XII.
Master Konstantin, who ruled the area of Eastern Serbia and Macedonia at that time, was soon forced to fulfil his vassal duties to the Turks – he died fighting on the Turkish side against the Hungarian King in 1395 along with the legendary folk-tale hero Marko Kraljević. Because of the chaotic political conditions that ensued and the Turkish takeover of Konstantin’s lands, the temple was left unpainted until 1499.
The monastic church is dedicated to Saint John the Theologian. It is a modest edifice that keeps to some of the innovations of the Morava School, for instance a large bell tower above the narthex.
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The porch in front of the entrance dates back to the 19th century, as do all other living quarters of the monastery, some of them being excellent examples of local folk architecture. Of special interest are the fresco paintings done by masters from Northern Greece. These are considered to be true masterpieces of the time. The depicted characters are marked with distinguishing individuality, which can also be credited to the influence of late Gothic painting.
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The monastery is situated at the very entrance of the impressive canyon of the river Jerma that finds its way between Vlaška and Greben mountains.
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On the other side of this gorge, at an altitude of 670 m, lies Zvonačka Spa. Out of the way of all major roads and squeezed amidst the mountains and the Bulgarian border, it is situated in an unspoilt, wild landscape. With two indoor pools and several sports grounds, the spa is a good starting point for a hike through the surrounding forests, exploration of small caves or peculiar shaped rocks or a visit to villages that seem to have been barely touched by the outside world. Zvonačka Spa’s trademark is the grey eagle nesting on the rocks above it.
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