Kovilje Monastery

Kovilje monastery

The Monastery of Kovilje
Location of Kovilje Monastery within Serbia
Monastery information
Full name	Манастир Ковиљe
Order	Serbian Orthodox
Established	12th century Renovated 1644
Dedicated to	Archangel Gabriel
Diocese	Žiča Diocese
Controlled churches	Cave-church of Archangel Gabriel Church of St. Nicholas
People
Founder(s)	Saint Sava
Important associated figures	Archbishop Gavrilo Rašković
Site
Location	Kovilje, Ivanjica, Serbia

Kovilje Monastery (Serbian Cyrillic: Манастир Ковиљe), dedicated to Archangel Gabriel, is a monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church, located in the village of Kovilje, in the municipality of Ivanjica, in south-west Serbia belonging to the Žiča Diocese. It is sited between Golija and Javor mountains, in the Nošnica river valley. The monastery has two churches, one built partly in a cave and dedicated to the Archangel Gabriel, the other, added later, dedicated to St. Nicholas.

The monastery was founded in the 12th century. The first written reference to it is in 1606, in the "Kruševačkom Pomeniku". It was rebuilt in 1644 by Archbishop Gavrilo (Rašković). Records from 1733 mention it as an educational establishment.

The hegumen of the monastery is the young Serbian Orthodox Hieromonk Amvrosije. He lives there by himself with his tamed animals of two wolves, a fox, an eagle, a snake, raven, rabbit and an owl. The Serb-American community of Libertyville have donated a motorcycle and 4-wheel-drive to the monastery. The life of the monastery has been documented in the Serbian documentary "Monah i vuk".

The monastery consists of two temples: the first is dedicated to the Holy Archangel Gabriel and another, that was later built, is dedicated to St. Nicholas. Church of the Holy Archangel partially rests on the rock, so it can be classified in a group of ascetic cave churches. It is a single building with altar niche. It is believed to have been built in the late 12th or the early 13th century, judging by the remains of frescoes and traditions.