Serbian Patriarch Irinej visited today the remains of a medieval Metropolitan court at the Lower Town of the Belgrade Fortress, and gave his blessings to the further works on the reconstruction of the court.

“This reconstruction is of great importance for the Serbian people, and it represents a major contribution to the revival of history,” said the Patriarch. Dr. Marko Popović, an archaeologist from the Archaeological Institute of SANU, informed the Patriarch about the ongoing works and the end of the first phase of the archaeological research at the Metropolitan court from the first half of the 15th century.

“Important excavations began in order to reconstruct the space where the church was. Relatively well-preserved remains of the Metropolitan court were discovered under the embankment. Modeling of the plateau has definitely been completed this year, the remains of the Metropolitan court have been conserved, and the project of a partial reconstruction has been made. It has also been concluded that the Metropolitan court is ready for reconstruction – the entire basement and the ground floor, all the way to the first floor”, Popović said. He also added that the final aim of the reconstruction is to turn the restored Metropolitan court into a place open for visitors.

The church was completely demolished, but the place where it once was has been restored. It is not known exactly when the church was built, but it is assumed that it dated somewhere from the Byzantine period (12th century) – the same period of the icon of the Virgin of Belgrade. It is known that the church existed in the 13 century, and that the icon of the Virgin of Belgrade was kept there. As it was written, Queen Simonida bowed before it in 1316, while in the 15th century, Despot Stefan had the church reconstructed and built its ‘pevnica’ – a place for the choir.

Popović said that the Patriarch Irinej was the first dignitary, after the Bishop Maksim, who has visited the Metropolitan court at the Belgrade Fortress. Accompanied by Ivana Lučić Todosić ,the Director of PE `Belgrade Fortress`, Ivana Avžner, the City Secretary for Culture and Mileta Radojčić, a member of the City Council, Patriarch Irinej toured the reconstructed Nebojša Tower, where he was informed about the completed work and the concept of the exhibition.