The Monastery Hercegovačka Gračanica is located on Crkvina Hill above Trebinje, offering a magnificent view of the city, and represents one of the most beautiful monasteries in eastern Herzegovina, a spiritual centre and meeting point for people from all over the world.
It was built in the same way as the Gračanica Monastery in Kosovo and Metohija.
According to the priest Moma Pejičić, who serves in the monastery, apart from Dučić’s bequest, another reason for Crkvina Hill to be chosen as the site for the monastery is the foundation of an old church, found at this site.
‘’In March, 2000, the construction of the temple started and the foundations were made. On that occasion, the future ktetor Branko Tupanjac came to the sanctification of the foundations, expressing his desire to build the church as Jovan Dučić wanted it to be (like Gračanica Monastery in Kosovo), but his additional wish was to make a konak, besides the church’’ said Pejičić.
According to him, in the early October of the same year, the works were completed and Dučić’s remains were transferred here.
The great Serbian poet was buried on the right side of the entrance to the temple, and on the tombstone states “Jovan Dučić – the poet”.
The monastery consists of a church dedicated to the Annunciation, which is five-domed, erected on 16 square pillars, and a stone from Kosovo’s Gračanica was built in its foundations.
In addition, the monastery complex is composed of the Bishop’s Palace, the bell tower, the icon gallery, and the amphitheater, which contributes to the overall admirable atmosphere.
According to the priest Pejičić, three years after the construction, the church was painted by Aleksandar Živadinović from Belgrade with assistants, with exception of the altar and the altar apse, which were painted by father Stevan Kovačević and Dario Stanimirović.
The iconostasis was made at the Tvrdoš Monastery.
ONE OF THE MOST VISITED TEMPLES, LARGE NUMBER OF WEDDINGS AND BAPTISMS IN THE SUMMER
The Hercegovačka Gračanica Monastery, which is also the metoh of the Tvrdoš Monastery, is one of the most visited religious sites in Trebinje today, attractive to many tourists who come to visit the town on Trebišnjica.
A large number of devotees and believers recognise this monastery as sacred and come here for spiritual peace and inspiration.
Pejičić says that many baptisms and weddings take place in the monastery during the year, especially in the summer, whilst the liturgy is served on Sundays and holidays.
Because of all this, the monastery is becoming a powerful spiritual centre of Srpska and one of the symbols of Trebinje and Herzegovina.
TST
