On the slopes of Fruška Gora mountain, there are as many as 17 medieval monasteries. This mountain became the mainstay of Serbian cultural revival during the Ottoman rule, when oppression forced the centre of spirituality to move north to what was then Austria-Hungary.The monasteries on Fruška Gora are built in the unique style of Serbian baroque, which combined the medieval heritage of the Nemanjić dynasty with Western European influences. Monasteries boasting tall and lavish bell towers and intricately engraved baroque iconostasis sprung up all over Fruška Gora mountain.
On the southern slopes of Fruška Gora lies Jazak monastery, built in the 18th Century. This monastery was erected near old Jazak, which was built in the 16th Century and forms an architectural whole with the Church of the Holy Trinity.
Krušedol monastery, lying on the south-eastern slopes of Fruška Gora mountain, is the endowment of bishop Maksim Branković. Originally built as a family mausoleum, it was burned in 1716 and the family’s earthly remains were scattered around. However, just six years later restoration was in full swing, resulting in the monastery’s current layout.Many illustrious figures from Serbian history are interned at Krušedol, including King Milan Obrenović and Princess Ljubica Obrenović.
On the southern slopes of Fruška Gora lies Grgeteg, a monastery which was, according to legend, built by the Serbian despot Vuk Branković for his father Grgur, after whom the monastery was named. The entire monastery complex was renewed in the early 18th Century, when the monastery took on a baroque appearance.The original 18th-Century iconostasis was destroyed during restorration works, and today the church boasts lavish, ceremonial frescoes painted by the renowned Serbian painter Uroš Predić in 1901 and 1902.
Not far from Grgeteg lies Velika Remeta, with a church dedicated to Saint Demetrius. This monastery is believed to have been founded by the Serbian King Dragutin in the late 15th Century. It was since razed to the ground by Ottoman Turks and wasn’t reconstructed until the 18th Century.Velika Remeta used to house an orthographic school. Also, one of the first travel essays in Serbian literature was written here. The dominant feature of the monastery’s architecture is the seven-storey bell tower, while the combination of stone and red bricks gives it the appearance of a fortress.
Novo Hopovo monastery, built in the 15th or the 16th Century, occupies a special spot among the monasteries of Fruška Gora. It keeps the relics of the holy warrior Theodore Thyron, which were brought to the older church at Novo Hopovo in 1555.Its frescoes painted in the late Byzantine style, influenced by the fresco art of Mount Athos and the Italo-Cretan schools, add to its beauty. The most prominent among the 17th-Century frescoes are those that depict the cycle of martyrdom of the apostles.
Since its formation in the 16th Century, Vrdnik has undergone several stages of development. In the late 17th Century, monks from Ravanica monastery moved to Vrdnik, which is why this monastery is still often called “the Ravanica of Srem”. The monks brought with them the relics of Prince Lazar, part of which is still on display at Vrdnik.The church was demolished in the early 19th Century and in 1811 a new, larger building took its place on the same spot, with frescoes painted by the best Serbian painters of the time.
In the western part of Fruška Gora mountain lies Šišatovac monastery, built at the spring of the river Remeta in the 16th Century. Designed in the baroque style, with a high bell tower and a dome, Šišatovac is also recognisable for its fragmented façades, which visually distinguish it from other monasteries in the Fruška Gora community. In the first half of the 19th Century, the monastery was the meeting point for educated Serbs of the time.
The first written reference to Beočin monastery, with its church dedicated to the Ascension of Christ, dates back to the 17th Century and it owes its present appearance to a thorough reconstruction in the 18th Century.The frescoes at Beočin monastery were painted by Serbian icon painting masters of the 18th Century.