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Famed for his
Christian writings and as a master of the Slavic language, Father Grga
Matic was recorded in history, particularly Franciscan history, as one of
Bosnia's greatest writers. He taught and wrote in a remote valley tucked
below the Bitovnja and Lopata mountains in the tiny town of Kresevo.
The
Franciscan monastery there has been serving its community for centuries
and the Catholic traditions here are very strong. The monastery has a
rustic museum, library and gallery, and, as in most Franciscan monasteries
in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the monks are very welcoming to
visitors. With no more than a few thousand inhabitants, medieval
Kresevo expanded with the arrival of German blacksmiths.
In several areas
of Bosnia, small German and Ragusan (present day Dubrovnik) mining
communities were
established. The noble families of the Bosnian state were
keen to exploit the plentiful resources of gold and silver but they didn't
have the skills to do so. The craft was passed on from these migrant
miners and can be found today in the old town.
Kresevo
is known for its old Bosnian architecture. The walls are made of clay and
straw plaster and the roof tiles are specially treated cherry-tree
shingles. The village
of Vranici,
just a few kilometers from Kresevo, is home to the finest examples of this
old type of building. It's a great place to visit. There is also an
interesting 'holy spot' at a medicinal water spring at Dezevice
called
St.
Jakov Water,
named after a 15th century Bosnian vicar.
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