Old Vlach village Štitkovo

The village of Štitkovo in south-western Serbia, on the slopes of the Zlatar Mountain, near Nova Varos, one of the most beautiful regions of Serbia, stands on the picturesque site of the former monastery built in 1655 near the clear Vrelo spring and just below the gigantic cliff and endless pastures of beautiful Javor Mountain. Stitkovo village is unique open-air museum and historical landmark that preserves rich highlanders traditions and cultural heritage of Serbia.

Štitkovo village is the authentic old Vlach settlement and has retained the ancient vernacular wooden architecture of highlanders Dinaric houses. Timbers for construction of those Stitkovo houses were 15 meters long and was incorporated with stone in building. The Stitkovo village authentic architecture – positioning of the houses, like city core dating from the late 19-th and early 20-th century in Serbia is an unique cultural phenomenon and historical nucleus which is still unexplored.

Stables and other economic structures of Stitkovo village are located on the other side of the stream while houses are entirely incredible in comparison with the modern way of life: down are storage structures /magaza/, and on the upper floor are kitchen and bedrooms. In the center of the Stitkovo village there is the Cultural Center that cherishes traditional customs and where folklore performances are held. Beside it is the White Church dedicated to Annunciation, a gem of the cultural heritage from 1867, built on the spot of the former Monastery founded by Patriarch Gavrilo Rašković of the famous Rašković Family in 1655 which was destroyed by Turks in 1813. Stitkovo Village used to be the settlement of famous Rašković Dukes, Serbian aristocracy before the Kosovo battle, who were manufacturing shields for the army (that is how the village of Stitkovo got its name)

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