A bronze applique depicting a maenad, her head adorned with a wreath of flowers and leaves, was found in what is now the village of Udovice. The find offers a striking introduction to the village’s history. The Udovice stream, fruit growing and viticulture, and the village church also shape the character of the place. Udovice can therefore be discovered above all through its landscape, viticulture and historical traces.
Location and Getting There
Udovice lies on the banks of the Udovice stream, mostly along its upper course, on the so-called Danube ridge at an elevation of 191 metres. A spring called Zmajevac is also located in Udovice. The setting thus brings together the stream banks, an elevated location and a named landform. To get there, take the paved road to Belgrade; after about four kilometres, another paved road branches off via the settlement of Jablan and leads to the village. The turnoff via Jablan is the specific landmark for the route described.
Viticulture and Customs
Fruit growing and viticulture have a long and rich tradition in Udovice. An older account puts orchards and vineyards together at 88 per cent of the 1,119-hectare area. A report dated 14 February 2006 names the “hamburg” and “muskant italija” grape varieties on Beli breg and the opposite Zlatno brdo. The report also describes the observance of Trifun’s Day in the vineyards: before sunrise, people enter the vineyards and pour wine over the cut vines and the frozen ground so that the year will be fruitful. The report also mentions pruning and wine toasts in the village’s viticultural areas for the feast of Saint Tryphon. The same report describes a local custom of cutting a branch from the most productive vine and using it to decorate the household’s icons of the saints.
Archaeology and Village History
Chance finds from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages have been recorded in Udovice. A bronze applique from the 1st or 2nd century depicts a maenad wearing a wreath of flowers and leaves. There is evidence of an ancient village and human habitation dating back to Roman times in the vicinity of Udovice. According to local tradition, a village called Podgorica once stood in the Udovice area. The inhabited part of Jugovo is also known by the name Golden Hill (Mons aureus). Thus, finds dated to particular periods stand alongside local tradition and a distinct name for an inhabited part of the village.
Village Church and Older Places of Worship
The village church in Udovice was built in 1939–1940. Its patron saint is the Great Martyr Marina; her feast day is celebrated every year on 30 July. This recurring date gives the church’s local history a clear seasonal connection. Traces at the former Kokora monastery also point to older religious sites: traces of foundations are visible at the site associated with the former monastery. Traces of a cemetery are also visible beside the former monastery.
Discover more destinations: Markovac, Smederevska Palanka, Velika Plana, Smederevo, Vodice, Krnjevo
Return to the regional travel overview: Podunavlje District.
