JASUNJA`S MONASTERIES

JASUNJA`S MONASTERIES ARE LOCATED 18 KM NORTHEAST OF

LESKOVAC, ON THE MOUNTAIN SLOPES OF BABICKA GORA.
THEY CONSIST OF 2 PARTS: A NUNNERY (FEMALE MONASTERY
DEDICATED TO THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN
MARY AND OF THE MALE MONASTERY DEDICATED TO ST.
JOHN THE BAPTIST. THEY ARE DISTANT ONE FROM EACH
OTHER ABOUT 1.! KM. THEY ALSO ENJOY THE STATUS OF
CULTURAL HERITAGE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE.
MONASTERY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST "AS BUILT BY
ANDRONICUS CANTACU#INO AND HIS BROTHERS IN 1!1$%1& AT
THE TIME OF SULTAN SELIM. ANDRONICUS CANTACU#INO
BELONGED TO A HIGH BY#ANTINE EMPEROR'S FAMILY
CANTACU#INO, "HO "ERE RELATED TO THE DESPOT JERINA,
AND ONE PART OF HER FAMILY CAME IN SERBIA DURING THAT
PERIOD. IN THAT TIME THEY "ERE ON THE HIGHER POSITIONS
IN THE COUNTRY. ONE NUMBER OF THE FAMILY MEMBERS
DIED IN 1(&&, AND M. COROVIC LJUBINKOVIC SUPPOSES THAT
THE CANTACU#INO`S "IDO"S, SISTERS OR DAUGHTERS "ERE
THOSE "HO FOUNDED THE MONASTERY OF ST. VIRGIN MARY
IN 1()) NEAR THE SITE "HERE LATER "OULD BE FOUNDED
THE MONASTERY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST. THE LEGEND
CONNECTS THESE T"O MONASTERIES BY THE COMMON
MEAL.
MONASTERY OF ST. VIRGIN MARY "AS FOUNDED IN 1()) BY
NUNS KSENIJA, TEOFA, MARTA AND MARIA AS IS STATED IN
THE INSCRIPTION ON THE FOUNDER'S COMPOSITION IN THE
NARTHE* OF THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH IS A SIMPLE TYPE OF
BUILDING, NAVE BUILDING "ITH A NARTHE* AND APSE,
"HICH ARE SEMICIRCULAR INSIDE AND OUT. IT IS BUILT OF
RUBBLE. THE OLDEST PARTS OF PAINTING ARE STORED IN THE
NARTHE* OF THE CHURCH.
MONASTERY OF ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST MONASTERY OF ST. VIRGIN MARY