Zavala Monastery
Description
Zavala Monastery is one of the most precious spiritual treasures of Herzegovina, on the edge of Popovo Polje, three kilometres from Ravno. Dedicated to the Presentation of the Mother of God, it is quite unique in its setting: the church's northern side is tucked under a huge rock that forms much of its wall, so the complex breathes the calm of a hermitage. The monastery is first mentioned in 1514, though it is believed to be older, while tradition links its origin even to the Roman emperor Constantine.
Zavala's greatest treasure are the frescoes painted in 1619 by the Hilandar monk Georgije Mitrofanović – considered the finest painting in BiH from Ottoman times. Beside it, a stone bell tower with three bells rises on the rock, and the complex includes a lodge, an old school and a cave hermitage. Zavala Monastery is also linked to Saint Basil of Ostrog, who was a novice here.
Cultural Heritage
The greatest treasure of Zavala Monastery are the frescoes of 1619, the work of the Hilandar monk Georgije Mitrofanović, regarded as the peak of Ottoman-era painting in BiH. The image of Emmanuel (Christ as a child) on the church vault stands out in particular. The church belongs to the Herzegovinian vaulted type, and beside it stands a stone bell-cote with three bells from 1899.
History of monastery
The monastery is first mentioned in 1514, and at the end of the 16th century the church was rebuilt under an Ottoman ferman. It was destroyed in 1722 during the Ottoman–Venetian wars, then fully restored in the 19th century. It suffered in both world wars and in the 1990s war, after which extensive restoration works were carried out in 2002. Saint Basil of Ostrog, born in the nearby village of Mrkonjići, was a novice at the monastery.
