Explore Religious Heritage Across Europe

The monastery of St. John Vladimir, built at the end of the 14th century, is an important monument in medieval Albania, and one of the largest sacred complexes in the country. The monastery was almost completely destroyed by fire in 1944, but the walls painted in the 18th century were spared.

St. Joseph's Church was founded in the 17th century by Carmelites. In 1864, after the uprising of January, and the dissolution of the Order which followed, the building served as a garrison. In 1919, the church again passed into the hands of the Carmelites.

St. Naum Monastery is a monastery built from the 10th century in Byzantine architecture. It was founded by St. Naum of Preslav (830-910), a disciple of Saints Cyril and Methodius. In the 16th century, during the Ottoman occupation, new buildings were constructed on the foundations of the original building. However, a part of them was destroyed in a fire in 1875.

The monastery of St. Nicholas is an Orthodox monastery whose date of foundation is unknown. However, we know that renovations took place in the 14th century. The monastery is known as much for its Byzantine architecture as for its picturesque location.

Staro Hopovo Monastery is nestled in the forest on the slopes of the Fruska Gora mountains. It was founded by Đorđe Branković at the end of the 15th century with a church dedicated to St Nicholas. The current church was built in 1752 after the first one collapsed due to an earthquake. The complex was partially damaged during the Second World War.

Stavronikita Monastery is one of the 20 self-governing Eastern Orthodox monasteries in Mount Athos. It is ranked fifteenth in the Athonite, the hierarchical order of the twenty monasteries on Mount Athos.

The Stavropoleos Church is an orthodox church belonging to a monastery built in the Brancovian style in the 18th century. The Stavropoleos church is on the list of historical monuments of Romania.

Strahov Monastery is an abbey of the Premonstratensian order founded in 1143. After a devastating fire in 1258, the entire complex was rebuilt within a few years. The Hussite wars of the 15th century, the Thirty Years' War and the War of Austrian Succession in 1741 caused further damage. The monastery is famous for its library dating from the 17th (theological room) and 18th century (philosophical room). It houses many unique specimens, prints, manuscripts, engravings and maps. One of the greatest treasures is the "Strahov Gospels", a manuscript from the 9th and 10th centuries.

Noted as one of the most prominent monasteries of Serbia, this UNESCO heritage site lies 39 Kilometers southwest of the town of Kraljevo. The monastery was built in the Byzantine Raska style by Stefan Nemanja, who later abdicated and became a monk there himself. The monastery is made of white marble and is famous for its 13th and 14th century Byzantine frescoes.

Located in the village with the same name, the Sucevita monastery was built between 1581 and 1601, on the expenses of a noble family, Movila: Ieremia was on the Moldavian throne between 1595 and 1606 and his brother Simon, who was the ruler of Valachia for a short period. The church with the Resurrection as its patron day was built in the Moldavian architecture, a style consolidated during the time of Stephen the Great and which combines in an harmonious way elements of Gothic and Byzantine art with specific architectural elements of the old wooden churches from Moldova. The exterior painting of the Sucevita monastery on a green background is the best preserved among the group of the Moldavian churches with exterior frescoes. The Ladder of Virtues, a masterpiece of the Romanian medieval painting, is the most impressive due to its dimension and the contrast between the order of the angels and the chaos of the Hell. Values of medieval art like embroderies, silver, manuscripts, wooden sculptures and icons are conserved and displayed in the monastery's museum.