Serbian rulers rest in the Oplenac Church: King Petar did not live to see his endowment completed

Photo: Ivan Strahinic

In the heart of Sumadija, in Oplenac near Topola, the great Serbian leader Djordje Petrovic Karadjordje planted the first vineyards - and King Petar I Karadjordjevic built a church and a mausoleum of the Karadjordjevic dynasty.

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The construction of the Church of St. George on the top of Oplenac hill began on May 1, 1910, and two years later it was almost completed.

When Austria-Hungary occupied Serbia, the magnificent church was looted - the copper roof was removed, bells and copper plates were stolen, windows and ornaments smashed. Also, the graves in the crypt were desecrated, because it was believed that an important archive was hidden in there.

Unfortunately, King Petar I Karadjordjevic did not live to see his endowment finally completed. His successor, King Aleksandar I Karadjordjevic, made sure that the church was renovated and works on it finished.

The interior of the five-domed building is as impressive as its exterior. It is decorated with more than 40 million multicolored glass cubes, which through thousands of shades paint copies of frescoes from 60 Serbian medieval churches and monasteries.

There are 39 tombs in the crypt of the church. Six generations of the Karadjordjevic dynasty are buried here, and five of the 28 graves belong to Serbian rulers.

Photo: Ivan Strahinic

(Telegraf.rs)