St. Michael’s Cathedral

The Cathedral of Saint Michael the Archangel was built from 1837 to 1840 in the place of an old church from 1728. The project was designed by a known builder from Pančevo named A. F. Kverfeld. It was designed as a single-nave building with a tall bell tower on the west side, in the style of Classicism with Baroque elements. Interior furnishing and decoration were done between 1841 and 1845. Wood carving designs were made by the famous sculptor and medalist Dimitrije Petrović, while the inside was painted by Dimitrije Avramović, one of the greatest Serbian 19th century painters, whose art formed under the influences of Vienna Academy of Fine Arts and the Nazarene understanding of church painting. Belgrade’s Cathedral was among the largest church buildings created in the Principality of Serbia. It is connected with the crucial stage in the development of 19th century Serbian art and its turn in the direction of Western European tendencies. It is also significant as the city’s cathedral church, to which many historical events are tied from the past of Belgrade and Serbia. Inside lie the relics of Emperor Uroš and Despot Stefan Stiljanović and the tombs of Prince Miloš and Prince Mihailo Obrenović, as well as of some other patriarchs of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Dositej Obradović and Vuk Karadzić are buried in front of the cathedral’s entrance. Conservation and restoration of the wall paintings and the iconostasis were done between 1993 and 1996. The facades were restored in 1996–1997, and the roof recovery and restoration of the fence and entrance gate were completed in 2006.