Dobrilovina Monastery

The Dobrilovina Monastery is located on the left Tara river banks, at the beginning of the Tara River Canyon, the deepest river canyon in Europe. The village of Dobrihnina (later Dobrilovina) was mentioned in 1253, though the oldest preserved mention of the monastery dates back to 1592, when the Ottoman authorities allowed the locals to rebuild their monastery in Dobrilovina. In 1609, the current standing church dedicated to St. George was finished; the frescoes were finished by 1613. This church has been pillaged, abandoned, destroyed and renovated several times since its founding.

The consecration of the church took place in 1594. The church, dedicated to Saint George, was finished in 1609. Painting of the church frescoes was finished by the year 1613. In the time of the Cretan War (1645–69), Potarje and the neighbouring territories were in revolt against the Ottoman Empire.

The monastery was ravaged by the Ottomans in 1799, however the monks had already retrieved the valuables and abandoned it. The monastery was then restored by hieromonk Makarije of Vraćevšnica, with the help of Jovan Savić and priest Vid, in 1833. However, the same year, Turks from Kolašin attacked the monastery and the church was renovated only in 1866, when archimandrite Mihailo Dožić-Medenica (1848-1914) was sent as an administrator.

Dobrilovina became the centre of the spiritual and political life and aspirations for freedom in the wide area of Potarje, Dožić also established a school that was operated secretly in the monastery, the first school in the valley of Tara — this was a very significant step towards national awakening here and in surrounding regions. The Ottomans had the monastery emptied and the quarters burned in 1877. The monastery was again renovated in 1905.

Address
P4, Mojkovac, Montenegro

Established
1592