The Prečista Krajinska ( sr-cyrl, Пречиста Крајинска) is the name for the ruins of a church located in the region of

Skadarska Krajina Skadarska Krajina ( cyrl, Скадарска Крајина, ), generally known simply as Krajë ( cyrl, Крајина, ; ) is a geographical region in southeastern Montenegro stretching from the southern coast of Lake Skadar to the mountain of ...

, southeastern

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

. It was the second burial site of

Jovan Vladimir Jovan Vladimir or John Vladimir ( sr-cyr, Јован Владимир; – 22 May 1016) was the ruler of Duklja, the most powerful Serbs, Serbian principality of the time, from around 1000 to 1016. He ruled during the protracted war betwee ...

, the ruler of Duklja (ca. 1000–1016), after his widow Kosara renewed it and transferred his remains from

Prespa Prespa (, , ) is a region shared between North Macedonia, Greece and Albania. It shares the same name with the two Prespa lakes which are situated in the middle of the region. The largest town is Resen in North Macedonia with 9,000 inhabitan ...

. The relics drew many devotees to the church, which became a center of

pilgrimage A pilgrimage is a travel, journey to a holy place, which can lead to a personal transformation, after which the pilgrim returns to their daily life. A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) w ...

. Kosara was interred in the church, at the feet of her husband, on her request. In around 1215—when Krajina was under the rule of Serbian Grand Prince

Stefan Nemanjić Stefan Nemanjić ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Немањић, ), known as Stefan the First-Crowned (, ; – 24 September 1228), was the Grand Prince of Serbia from 1196 and the King of Serbia from 1217 until his death in 1228. He was the first Se ...

—the relics were presumably removed from this church and transported to Dyrrhachium by the troops of

Michael I Michael I may refer to: * Pope Michael I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark in 743–767 * Michael I Rangabe, Byzantine Emperor (died in 844) * Michael I Cerularius, Patriarch Michael I of Constantinop ...

, the despot of

Epirus Epirus () is a Region#Geographical regions, geographical and historical region, historical region in southeastern Europe, now shared between Greece and Albania. It lies between the Pindus Mountains and the Ionian Sea, stretching from the Bay ...

. At that time Despot Michael had briefly captured from Serbia the city of Skadar, which is only about east of the church. The monastery was mentioned in 1417 in a Cetinje manuscript. The Balšić family reconstructed the monastery in the 15th century. The monastery became the seat of a Catholic bishopric, as part of the Catholic-Venetian expansion. The bishop, who was employed in an Orthodox region, saw resistance in the area from the Serbian Orthodox. At the beginning of the 20th century, the population surrounding the Church ruins were Muslims.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Precista Krajinska Church ruins in Montenegro Medieval history of Montenegro Vojislavljević dynasty 11th-century Eastern Orthodox church buildings