Savatije | |
---|---|
Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch | |
Church | Serbian Patriarchate of Peć |
See | Patriarchal Monastery of Peć |
Installed | 1585 |
Term ended | 1586 |
Predecessor | Gerasim |
Successor | Nikanor I |
Other post(s) | Metropolitan of Herzegovina (1573–1585) |
Personal details | |
Born | Savatije Sokolović |
Died | 1586 |
Nationality | Rum Millet (Ottoman) |
Denomination | Eastern Orthodox Christian |
Parents | Vukašin |
Savatije Sokolović ( Serbian Cyrillic: Саватије Соколовић; fl. 1573 – d. 1586), was Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch from 1585 to 1586. Before that, he served as Metropolitan of Herzegovina from 1573 to 1585. He was a member of the notable Sokolović family, being a nephew of Serbian Patriarch Makarije Sokolović (1557–71). Savatije founded the Piva Monastery in 1573. [1]
Sokolović was born in Prijepolje, [2] at the time part of the Sanjak of Herzegovina of the Ottoman Empire (now in Serbia). He was a son of Vukašin, the " knyaz of Rudići", [3] and was part of the notable Sokolović family, being a fraternal nephew of Patriarch Makarije (s. 1557–71), [4] [5] and relative to many other archbishops, and even Ottoman statesmen.
He succeeded his relative Antonije as the Metropolitan of Herzegovina in 1573, who then became the Serbian Patriarch; [1] the Sokolović bishops were obviously succeeding each other as metropolitan of Herzegovina, then as coadjutor to the Serbian Patriarch, and finally as Serbian Patriarch. [6] That same year, Savatije founded (as ktitor) the Piva Monastery, dedicated to the Dormition of the Most Holy Mother of God, [1] [7] [8] located by the Piva river [9] in the historical Piva region (the former župa of Piva, in modern-day western Montenegro). The construction workers were brothers named Gavrilo and Vukašin. [3] Russian historian Aleksandr Fedorovich Gilferding (1831–1872) said that the monastery was the greatest and most beautiful building in all of Herzegovina. [10]
He remained the Metropolitan of Herzegovina until his enthronement as the Archbishop of Peć and Serbian Patriarch in 1585, [1] and served until his presumed death in 1586 [1] when the last mention is made of him, regarding the finished construction of Piva. [6] He died before Gerasim. [6] Historian S. Novaković (1842–1915) concluded that his death place was in the Ubožac- or Božac Monastery, although this has since been refuted. [11]
Savatije proved himself more energetic than his predecessors, and boldly and persistently, with the help of Grand Vizier Sokollu Mehmed Pasha (Mehmed-paša Sokolović) and other Islamized Sokolović family members, and other Viziers of Serbian origin, to work for the strengthening of Church autonomy. [12] Unfortunately, chronicles have no further information on his life, as is the case with many other Serbian patriarchs. [13] Both Savatije and Sokollu Mehmed Pasha are depicted on the interior frescoes.