Saint Sava

Saint Sava Equal-to-apostles, the Illuminator
Serbian Archbishop
Fresco detail of Saint Sava in the King's Church, Studenica Monastery, Serbia
Church	Serbian Orthodox Church
See	Metropolitanate of Žiča
Installed	1219
Term ended	1235
Predecessor	(First)
Successor	Arsenije I
Other posts	archimandrite
Orders
Ordination	Patriarch Manuel I of Constantinople
Personal details
Birth name	Rastko Nemanjić
Born	1169 or 1174 Gradina
Died	January 27, 1236(1236-01-27) Tarnovo, Bulgaria
Buried	Holy Forty Martyrs Church (until May 6, 1237) Mileševa (until 1594)
Nationality	Serbian
Denomination	Orthodox Christian
Parents	Stefan Nemanja and Ana
Occupation	prince, archbishop
Motto	Only Unity Saves the Serbs
Signature
Sainthood
Feast day	January 27 [O.S. January 14]
Venerated in	Eastern Orthodox Church
Canonized	by Serbian Orthodox Church
Attributes	ktetor, teacher, legislator, diplomat, protector of the poor, writer
Patronage	Serbia, Serbs, Serbian schools
Shrines	Church of Saint Sava (Belgrade)

Saint Sava (Serbian: Свети Сава/Sveti Sava, pronounced [sʋɛ̂ːtiː sǎːʋa], 1174 – 14 January 1236), known as The Enlightener, was a Serbian prince and Orthodox monk, the first Archbishop of the Serbian Church, the founder of Serbian law, and a diplomat. Sava, born Rastko, was the youngest son of Serbian Grand Prince Stefan Nemanja (founder of the Nemanjić dynasty), and ruled the appanage of Hum briefly in 1190–92. He then left for Mount Athos where he became a monk, with the name Sava (Sabbas). At Athos, he established the monastery of Hilandar, which became one of the most important cultural and religious centres of the Serbian people. In 1219 he was recognized as the first Serbian Archbishop by the Patriarchate, and in the same year he authored the oldest known constitution of Serbia, Zakonopravilo, thus securing full independence; both religious and political. Sava is regarded the founder of Serbian medieval literature.

He is widely considered as one of the most important figures of Serbian history. Saint Sava is canonized and venerated by the Serbian Orthodox Church, as its founder, on January 27 [O.S. January 14]. His life has been interpreted in many artistic works from the Middle Ages to modern times. He is the patron saint of Serbia, Serbs, and Serbian education. The Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade is dedicated to him, built where the Ottomans burnt his remains in 1594 during an uprising in which the Serbs used icons of Sava as their war flags; the church is one of the largest church buildings in the world.