Nemenikuće can be explored through its church and monastery history as well as through evidence of its local cultural heritage. The church dedicated to the holy apostles Peter and Paul, the ruins of Kastaljan Monastery, Cleopatra’s Fountain and the Borikića Watermill offer different historical points of reference. A cultural trip can therefore take in several themes: religious architecture, archaeology, local memory and the history of technology. Parts of the cadastral area of Nemenikuće lie within the protected “Kosmaj” area; this connection to the landscape adds a spatial perspective to the history of the village.
The Church and Kastaljan Monastery
The present-day church building in Nemenikuće was completed in 1868 and dedicated to the apostles Peter and Paul. The monastery site at Kastaljan is now a complex of ruins. It lies on the eastern slope of Kosmaj, in the area of Nemenikuće, and is dedicated to the holy Great Martyr George. The monastery church is a stone, single-nave building: 12.5 metres long and 6 metres wide, with a semicircular apse to the east and a rectangular narthex to the west. A single-nave floor plan brings the church space together in one main room; the apse and narthex mark different sides of the building. The dimensions and structural features give the monastery church a distinct architectural profile.
Between 1969 and 1971, archaeological excavations at Kastaljan uncovered a complex comprising a church, a konak, a refectory and the remains of a necropolis. The finds therefore encompass more than the place of worship alone. The konak included accommodation for caravans and travellers, who did not have to enter the monastery grounds. This aspect of its historic use adds another perspective on monastic life to the site’s religious dedication and architectural description.
Cleopatra’s Fountain and the Borikića Watermill
Cleopatra’s Fountain was built in 1856 on the orders of Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević, as a gesture of thanks to the girls and residents of Nemenikuće. Its origins connect the structure to a specific local dedication. The Borikića Watermill in Nemenikuće was built in 1884 and is among the important protected cultural assets in the area and the wider surroundings of Kosmaj. The construction dates also provide a point of comparison: the present-day church building was completed in 1868, while the watermill was built in 1884. Religious architecture and the history of milling thus represent different, chronologically comparable aspects of cultural heritage.
Kosmaj and the Events Calendar
Parts of the cadastral area of Nemenikuće lie within the protected “Kosmaj” area. To the north, this protected area is bounded, among other things, by the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul and the Trnava River. The church thus connects its own religious history with a specific point along the northern boundary of the protected area.
The “Dani Milovana Vidakovića” event traditionally takes place on Petrovdan in the churchyard of the Church of the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul in Nemenikuće, on Kosmaj. In 2024, the programme concluded with an exhibition by the “Nemenikuće 2024” artists’ colony in the churchyard. If you would like to plan your trip around Petrovdan, check the dates and programme for the relevant year.
Discover more destinations: Koracica, Veliko Selo, Surčin, Jakovo, Sremčica, Železnik, Beli Potok, Vinča.
View the full travel guide: Belgrade.
