Justiniana Prima

Justiniana Prima
Native name Serbian: Царичин град
Remnants of the city
Location	Prekopčelica, Lebane
Founded	535 AD
Built for	Archbishopric, Imperial estate
Demolished	615
Governing body	Republic of Serbia
Official name: Caričin Grad
Type	Cultural Heritage of Serbia: Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance
Designated	1979

Justiniana Prima (Serbian: Царичин град) was a Byzantine city that existed from 535 to 615, and currently an archaeological site, near today's Lebane, Leskovac district in southern Serbia. It was founded by Emperor Justinian I and served as the seat of an Archbishopric that had jurisdiction of the Central Balkans.

In 1979, Justiniana Prima was added to the Archaeological Sites of Exceptional Importance-list, protected by Republic of Serbia.

The establishment of the Archbishopric is mentioned in Justinian's own Novel XI from 535, when he promotes the Metropolitan to an Archbishop, independent from the Archbishop of Thessalonica. The establishment is seen as part of the feud between Justinian and the Archbishop of Eastern Illyricum, who was a papal vicar.

The city was founded by Emperor Justinian I. It existed from the 530s to 615 and was designed as a splendid bishop's seat. The city was a completely new foundation in honour of the nearby village of Tauresium (identified with today's village of Taor in the Republic of Macedonia, near Skopje), the birthplace of Justinian. Serb scholars also identify it as the site of Bederiana, birthplace of Justinian's uncle and mentor Justin I. The city planning combined classical and Christian elements: thermae, a forum, and streets with colonnades. Typical Mediterranean features went along with numerous churches.

Justinian himself ordered the foundation of the city by law in 535, establishing the Archbishopric of Justiniana Prima, making it at the same time the capital of the prefecture of Illyricum instead of Thessaloniki (although this is disputed among historians). It also was chosen as the seat of the Dacian diocese.