Sremski Karlovci Things to Do

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City Hall or Magistrat was built in the period between 1808 and 1811 in the neoclassicism style. At the beginning it was meant to be of use to garrison in Petrovaradin fortress. Later it was consigned to military executive in Sremski Karlovci. Above the balcony is a coat of arms of Sremski Karlovci.
In rooms of City Hall was town administration - town council and police. The most important event linked to this institution is declaration of Serbian Vojvodina from a balcony that happened in May 1848.
In 2009 Parliament of Republic of Serbia made decision to move Constitutional Court of Serbia into this building.

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The fountain named ”Four Lions” was made in 1799 in the honor of completion of the first water pipe system. Water from Cerat hill’s spring was brought to town by clay pipeline under the suggestion of military engineer Vanger. At the beginning it was located closer to City Hall, later it was moved from its previous location to release a road to Strazilovo.
There is an interesting story linked to this fountain, narrated mostly by elderly in Karlovci and it says that any one who drinks water from this fountain will come back to Karlovci one day and get married here.

On the Branko Radicevic square is a Roman Catholic church, whose parish was mentioned in 1735 for the first time. It was dedicated to Holy Trinity and was built on a place where a Benedictine church, destroyed by Turks in withdrawal, once stayed.

The church was restored and expanded on few occasions Church was build in simple provincial baroque and classicism styles and particularly interesting are marvelous baroque carved doors. Inside church there are several fine paintings from different periods. Next to the church are parish building with office build in 19th century.

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The Lower Church is dedicated to apostles St. Peter and St. Paul. The church was mentioned for the first time in one written record dating from 1599. Shrine was restored on old shrine’s foundations in 1719. On 13th of October 1784, in the front of alter of the Lower Church, was ordained a priest, Petar Petrovic Njegos, later known as St. Peter of Cetinje, archbishiop, ruler of Montenegro, poet and philosopher.
Iconostasis of Lower Church was made in year 1829 by painter Dimitrije Vratoglic. In the churchyard had been planted a plane-tree, not long after the building was finished. Today, that tree is under the protection and represents a magnificent monument of nature in Sremski Karlovci.

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The Upper Church is dedicated to Entry into the Temple of the Most Holy Mother of God. It was built in 1746 on the foundations of an older church from 16th century. The oldest written record about that orthodox church is from 1559, from the time when it was a remote part under custody of Hilandar monastery.
Restored iconostasis is from baroque period and was made in 18th century by famous painter from Sremski Karlovci named Dimitrije Bacevic. In the churchyard are graves of many priests and notable persons from Sremski Karlovci, including Serbian patriarchs Georgije Brankovic and Lukijan Bogdanovic.

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The cathedral is on the same spot where a smaller church, dedicated to the same saint was in the 16th century. Mitropolitan Pavle Nenadoviæ decided in 1758 to pull down the old church and to erect a new cathedral on the same spot. With the contributions of mitropolitan, folk and monasteries it was possible to finish the building and in four years it was completed by the plan designed in Vienna.

The cathedral was built in baroque style. On the front facade two big belfries are emphasized and one is in between. Stained glass windows are a work of German craftsmen. Above choral apse is a big stained glass window with motif of St. Nicholas.

In altar place is big iconostasis, the work of famous serbian baroque artists Teodor Kraèunand Jakov Orfelin. In the corners of dome Kraèun painted images of Evangelists and icons on the upper part of iconostasis which were coated with 24-carat gold. Jakov Orfelin finished work on the iconostasis. On the lower part of iconostasis, on the right side, is an icon of Madonna with Christ, made in 14th century by unknown Russian artists. In altar place is sacred Ark of the Covenant with piece of relic of St. Arsenius of Srem, pupil of St. Sava and his legatee on archbishops throne. Between altar place and nave are two thrones - on the right side for the patriarch, and on the left side for king or a crown-prince.

During the lifetime of patriarch Georgije Brankoviæ a famous Serbian artist Paja Jovanoviæ painted few pictures with motives from the Old and the New Testament on the order of the patriarch himself. He also painted four compositions with events from medieval Serbian history presented on.

Frontispiece of the cathedral was changed according to a project from Vladimir Nikoliæ during the time of patriarch Lukijan Bogdanoviæ (1909/1910).

In the crypt of The Orthodox Cathedral almost all metropolitans from Sremski Karlovci are buried.

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The Patriarchy Court was built on the spot where The New Court, destroyed in a fire in 1788, once was. It was built on the initiative by patriarch Georgije Brankoviæ and designed during 1892 and 1894 by the famous architect Vladimir Nikoliæ.
The Patriarchy Court id designed in combination of two styles - baroque (ground floor) and pseudo-renaissance (upper floor). Floor plan is in "E" shape and the middle limb forms a small chapel dedicated to St. Dimitri. The Court Chapel represents one of the best works in the field of church painting, done by well known artist Uroš Prediæ in 1898.

The Patriarchy Court once owned exuberant Mitropolitan library, gallery and treasury but was robbed during the WWII and huge amount of its treasure ended in Zagreb. Luckily when the war ended segment of that cultural treasure was saved and is nowadays exhibited The Museum of The Serbian Orthodox Church.

Recently the treasury-room of the museum was opened. In it icons, church books and objects used in religious service in orthodox churches are exhibited.

Nowadays The Patriarchy Court is a seat of bishop of Srem Mitropoly and has a status of summer residence for Serbian patriarch. One part of offical title of Serbian patriarchs is also "mitropolian of Belgrade and Karlovci".

On the north side of Branko Radicevic square is building of secondary theological school. Here are some historical facts about this important institution...

The Small Clerical School was precursor of The Orthodox Seminary. It worked within school opened in 1749, named “Pokrovobogorodocina” which was under the custody of mitropolitan Pavle Nenadoviæ. Council in Timisoara in 1790 decided that it should be allowed to found The General Seminary in Sremski Karlovci where young generations of orthodox priests would be educated. Instead of seminary a small clerical school was founded on 1st of February, 1794 by mitropolitan Stevan Stratimiroviæ. At the beginning school was not organized as a seminary and the pupils had to provide a room and food by themselves. In 1797 mitropolitan opened “Blagodjejanije”, a place where poor pupils from The Seminary and The Gymnasium lived and feed for free.

The Royal Edict in 1868 reorganized schools in Sremski Karlovci. That meant gradual closing of The Seminary, finally in 1872 it stopped working. In 1875 Seminary started with work again accepting pupils who graduated in secondary school - gymnasium. Education lasted four years and was performed in Serbian language. Exception were lessons of Theological Dogma lectured in Church-Slavic language. In fact.. that was first Theological faculty!!!

Nowadays school has around 180 pupils from Serbia and abroad and their lessons take place in The Palace of Common Funds, designed in 1901 by the architect Vladimir Nikoliæ.
Building itself is really fine palace-alike monument with interesting sphyngs on the main entrance and great central hall.