Patriarchate of Pec
Narthex

The narthex of the Patriarchate of Peć, connecting the three churches of the complex, was erected by Archbishop Danilo II in the early 1330’s. Initially, it was built as an open narthex with five vertical elements supporting the entire structure. Since it gradually deteriorated and became unstable, the arched openings were walled up during the restoration in the 1560’s. Little has been preserved of the original frescoes that adorned the whole narthex in the time of Danilo II. Among noteworthy scenes is the genealogy of the Nemanjic Dynasty beginning with Nemanja and ending with King Dušan. When it comes to individual figures, the representation of the breastfeeding Mother of God stands out. The facade of the narthex was painted at one time as well. The vaults were painted with frescoes depicting the scenes and figures from the Calendar in 1565, after the renewal of the Patriarchate, commissioned by the Patriarch Makarije Sokolovic. The painters employed included the monk Longin, the most famous Serbian painter of the latter half of the 16th century.