Cultural Corridors of South East Europe

South East Europe / Via Adriatica

Radmilja Historical Site with Necropolis of Stecak Tombstones

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Radmilja Historical Site with Necropolis of Stecak Tombstones

About the site


Corridor: Via Adriatica
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Stolac
Type: Cultural Landscape
Epoch: Middle Ages
Theme:
World Heritage:
Middle AgesCultural Landscape

In the number of monuments, the diversity and representation of all the basic stesak shapes, the relatively high artistic quality of the work, the wealth of decorative elements, relief carvings and epitaphs referring to known historical persons, as well as in its unusual site and accessibility, the necropolis of Radimlja is one of the most valuable mediaeval monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Most of the tombstones, of the type known as stesci (sing. stesak) date from the fifteenth and sixteenth century. The most reliable evidence of the date of origin is an epitaph on one of the stesci, which suggests that the necropolis dates to the time when the Hrabren-Miloradovic family lived in Batnoge or Osanici.
According to the 1967 data there were 133 stesci in the necropolis. When the Capljina to Stolac road was built, it cut through the necropolis. Research conducted by A. Zelenika in the late 1950s, when the road was widened and asphalted, produced similar results. These works prompted and hastened the legal protection of this site.

Council of Europe, RPSEE

The stesaks in this necropolis face north-west/south-east. A total of 63 stećaks is decorated. The decorations on the Radimlja stećaks are executed in shallow relief by carving or a combination of techniques. The finest decorated forms are the ridges and the tall chest forms. Five monuments bear epitaphs, naming certain members of the Hrabren Miloradović family .  

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