Church & monasteryDalmatia

Dragović Monastery: a Serbian Orthodox monastery by Lake Peruća

Dragović Monastery (Manastir Dragović) is a Serbian Orthodox monastery on a hill beside Lake Peruća, near Vrlika in the Dalmatian hinterland. It is one of the three spiritual centres of the Serbs of Dalmatia, alongside Krka and Krupa. Destroyed three times and moved because of the lake, it is a quiet stop for those interested in the religious heritage of the Cetina valley.

Dragović Monastery has had to move twice: first because the ground under it was unstable, with a replacement opened in 1867, then in the 1950s because the reservoir of Lake Peruća flooded that site as well.

WhereNear Vrlika, beside Lake Peruća, in the Dalmatian hinterland

TypeSerbian Orthodox monastery, rebuilt on a new site in the 20th century

Best forReligious heritage, quiet landscapes and the Cetina valley

Getting thereBy road from Vrlika; the monastery lies in the village of Koljane, beside the lake

The history of Dragović Monastery

The founding of Dragović is not firmly documented, and the sources disagree. A tradition recorded in the 19th century, and repeated by the bishop and historian Nikodim Milaš in 1901, dates it to 1395, but Croatian Wikipedia calls that account unfounded. Reliable sources suggest the monastery was possibly founded before the Patriarchate of Peć was restored in 1557, most probably by the end of the 16th century, and that it then stood deserted for a long time. Some authors instead place its beginnings in the late 17th century.

In 1694 the Orthodox bishop Nikodim Busović received permission from the Venetian authorities to rebuild the abandoned monastery, which the document describes as an old church and a monastery inhabited by monks. His relations with both Catholic and Orthodox authorities were complicated, and he eventually gave up his office and died at the monastery. The ground under the old buildings was highly unstable and damp, so the monks decided to move.

With Venetian permission, the hieromonk Vikentije Stojisavljević began building a new monastery in 1777 at a place called Vinogradi. The work was slow and costly, and it was the prior Jerotej Kovačević who finally saw it through; the monastery opened on 20 August 1867. During its history Dragović was destroyed three times. It later acquired a rich treasury of manuscripts, old books in several languages, rare antimensia and 18th-century silver objects.

In the 1950s the artificial lake for the Peruća hydroelectric power station was created, and the monastery was moved to a hill near the old fortress called Gradina. Between 1991 and 1993, during the Croatian War of Independence, the monastery was broken into several times; it was abandoned in 1995 and the church was devastated. Reconstruction followed, and in autumn 2004 conditions were restored for monks to return. On 15 September 2004 a new brotherhood was installed, and that day, the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, the first liturgy was held in the rebuilt church.

Facts about Dragović Monastery

The monastery is one of three spiritual centres of the Serbs of Dalmatia, with the Krka and Krupa monasteries.
Two explanations of the name exist: Archimandrite Gerasim Petranović wrote in 1859 that it came from a certain Drago who moved from Bosnia, while local folk tradition links it to a river that flowed near the old site.
The 1395 founding date repeated in older books is described by Croatian Wikipedia as a folk tale wrongly presented as fact.
When the newer monastery church was built, fragments of early Croatian interlace stone carving from an earlier church, or from a nearby 9th-century three-aisled basilica, were reused.
The treasury once held relics of Saint Gregory, described as a Serbian enlightener and archbishop.
Every year a gathering of the faithful takes place at the monastery on the Sunday before the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos.

Tours near Dragović Monastery

Experiences in the area that you can book online with Viator:

GROUP/ PRIVATE Walking History Tour of SPLIT with Daniela

★ 5 (211 reviews) · 2 h

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Private Walks & Storytelling - the best small group tour in Split

★ 5 (208 reviews) · 1 h

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Split Game of Thrones Tour & History Walk Top-Rated All inclusive

★ 5 (155 reviews) · 1.5 h

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Private Sailing Tour Omiš - Brač with Homemade Lunch, Wine & Beer

★ 5 (108 reviews) · 8 h

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Visiting Dragović Monastery

The monastery is an active place of worship, so dress and behave respectfully and check the current visiting arrangements before you go.
It stands on a hill by Lake Peruća in the village of Koljane, in the hamlet of Dragović, at a site called Vinogradi.
The buildings are a rebuilding of the 18th- and 19th-century monastery on its new site, erected in the 20th century.
Knin Fortress and the Roman site of Tilurium are the nearest other places in this guide. Information on the interior and its present collections is limited in the sources used here.

Opening hours, access and conditions can change. Check before you go.

Map: where Dragović Monastery is

Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors

Photos of Dragović Monastery

Questions

Where is Dragović Monastery?

It is a Serbian Orthodox monastery near Vrlika in the Dalmatian hinterland, on a hill beside Lake Peruća in the village of Koljane.

Why was Dragović Monastery moved?

The ground under the first monastery was unstable and damp, so a new one was built from 1777; in the 1950s the artificial lake for the Peruća power station flooded that site too.

When was Dragović Monastery founded?

The date is uncertain. A 1395 tradition is disputed, and more reliable sources point to the late 16th century, with some authors preferring the late 17th.

When was the present monastery completed?

Building began in 1777 at Vinogradi, and the monastery opened on 20 August 1867. After the lake was created, the complex was rebuilt on a new hill site.

Did monks return to Dragović Monastery?

Yes. After being abandoned in 1995, the monastery received a new brotherhood on 15 September 2004, when the first liturgy was held in the rebuilt church.

Is Dragović Monastery worth a detour?

It suits visitors interested in religious heritage and the landscape of Lake Peruća and the Cetina valley, in a quiet setting away from the coast.