SREMSKI KARLOVCI

    The town, situated on the slopes of the Fruska gora and on the bank of the river Danube, is for the centuries-important destination for travelers and tourists. The Romans probably, established the settlement, as one of their numerous fortress on the military border (limes). One of the Roman emperors Marco Aurelie Prob brought grapevine here from southern Italy, and for the past seventeen centuries, the best vineyards in the central Europe have been surrounding Karlovci. The first written document about Karlovci date from 1308, when it was called Karom. During Turkish occupation  the town was one of the largest Serbian settlement in Srem, with several Orthodox churches. In September 1698, after long and horrible war, the peace negotiations between the Christian countries (Austria, Poland, Venice and Russia) and the Turkish Empire, were held in Karlovci. The peace treaty was eventually signed on January 26^th, 1699. 

   Several years, after the war, Karlovci became the center of the Serbian Orthodox Mitropolity in 1713. As early as 1726, the first school was established in Karlovci, which was at the end of the 18^th century, thanks to ability of Mitropolit Stefan Sratimirovic, which developed in the first Serbian modern school institution-High School in 1791, and Theological high school (Bogoslovija) in 1794. During Bourgeois Revolution in 1848, on May 13^th, a meeting called May Assembly took place in Karlovci. One of the decisions of the Assembly, proclaimed by Patriarch Josif Rajacic, was that the provinces Srem, Backa, Baranja and Banat became one autonomous Serbian Duchy called Vojvodina. The present look of the center, Karlovci got during Patriarch Georgije Brankovic at the end of the 19^th century. Karlovci became a part of Serbia in 1918, and after that event the town became a living museum of the past.

The Patriarchy Court

     The Patriarchy Court was built in the place where the old court was in 1894, on the initiative of the patriarch Georgie Brankovic. The architect was Vladimir Nikolic. Once, the court possessed a library founded by patriarch Arsenie III Carnojevic in 1706, gallery and treasury, but during the World War II everything was stolen and transported to Zagreb. After the war just a smaller part was taken back and today is in Belgrade. The Court includes the chapel of the St, Dimitrius, wonderful gathering hall and treasury with icons from 15^th to 18^th century, portraits of Serbian mitropolits and patriarchs, books from 16^th and 17^th century. Nowadays, the Patriarchy Court is a residence of a bishop of Srem, and also summer residence of the Serbian Patriarch.

The Orthodox Cathedral

      On the place of today's cathedral, once there was situated a smaller church from the 16^th century, also dedicated to St, Nicholas. In 1758 Mitropolitan Pavle Nenadovic decided to torn down the old church and start building a new cathedral. On the front part of the church there are two bell towers and a little one between them. In the altar space is the magnificent iconostasis, a masterpiece of the Serbian baroque art, the work of Teodor Kracun and Jakov Orfelin. In the altar area there are also two great relics: The miracle icon Mary mother of god with infant Christ, work of anonymous Russian painter from 14^th century and the coffin with part of the holly body of St. Arsenie I Sremac (13^th century).

     The famous painter painter Paja Jovanovic painted several wall-paintings with scenes from the Old and New Testimony and the Serbian history. Between the altar and the central part of the church there are two thrones dedicated to the Serbian kings and Patriarchs.

The fountain "The four lions"

      It was built in 1799, as the crown of the first town waterworks. The leading architect was Italian Guisepe Aprili who projected this fountain in the baroque style. From that time the fountain has become the symbol of Karlovci. There is an interesting legend about the fountain: anyone who drinks water from this fountain will come back to Karlovci and get married here.

The Clerical High School

      Three years after the foundation of the High school, Mitropolit Stefan Stratimirovic Founded a Clerical High School. School  reached highest level in the second part of the 19^th century, when the rector became Ilarion Ruvarac and one of the professor Jovan Zivanovic. In that period one of the first department for bee keeping in Europe was established in the school. The Clerical High School was closed in 1914, and after the war again was established in Belgrade. Modern Clerical School "St. Arsenie Sremac" was founded 1964, in the Palace of the Common Funds, built at the beginning of the 20^thcentury by Patriarch Georgije Brankovic.

The Chapel of Peace

   The Chapel Lady of Peace represented the symbol of the peace agreement, which was made between The Holly Alliance and Turks on January 26^th, 1699. The house in which this event took place was a small ground floor building. It had four entrances, which enabled all forces to enter in the room at the same time. In the middle of the house was a big round table, the first one in the history of the world diplomacy, at which the negotiations was conducted.

      Today's chapel was built in 1817, in the shape of the Turkish military tent with four entrances, but later the eastern door was closed. In the chapel's yard is the grave of a Venetian diplomat, who died during the negotiations.  

The Roman Catholic church "The Holly Trinity"

       Today's church was built in the middle of the 18^th century on the spot where benedict basilica was. The basilica was torn during the Turkish retreat from this area 1688. The church was renovated in 19^th century and there is now a beautiful engraving door.