Download or read book Gračanica written by Slobodan Ćurčić and published by Penn State University Press. This book was released on 1979 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first major study of an outstanding monument of Late Byzantine architecture in Yugoslavia, this book is also the first extensive examination of Serbian medieval architecture to appear in English. The author moves beyond previous arguments concerning the distinctive or provincial character of architectural developments in Serbia and shows that the monastery church of Gračanica is a product of an expanded Serbian cultural framework and represents one of the summits of Late Byzantine architecture. The comprehensive analysis of the planning, form, spatial composition, structure, and architectural decoration of the building clearly reveals the creative synthesis achieved by the Late Byzantine architect. In addition, this study provides a new understanding of the history of Late Byzantine architecture in general and interprets Gračanica in light of the changed political climate in Serbia during the first two decades of the fourteenth century.