Gracanica

We're still reading the book of Revelation at the scripture blog, and are now on chapter 6, the Lamb opening the scroll with the seven seals (yikes!). I find it disturbing, so decided to look at the art instead of reading about it. I came cross a fresco of Last Judgement at a 14th century Serbian monastery ... Gracanica.

The Gracanica monastery, near Lipljan in Kosovo, is one of the last monumental foundations of King Milutin Nemanjic. Built on the ruins of the former Church of the Holy Virgin, the monastery, finished in 1321, was dedicated to the Dormition of the Holy Virgin. On the southern wall of the chapel is written the king's charter, including the following words: "I have seen the ruins and the decay of the Holy Virgin's temple of Gracanica, the bishopric of Lipljan, so I have built it from the ground and painted and decorated it both within and without". Of the former monastic compound, only the church has survived ...
- read more about the monastery and see many more pictures here

Below are a few detail photos of Last Judgement freesco ...


- Theotokos (Mary, Jesus' mother) and two archangels in Heaven


- angels pushing sinners into a fiery river


- the sea


- angels bending Heaven