Medieval templon with inseparable objects of prostration. A case of Saints Joachim and Anna church in the Studenica Monastery

Abstract

The architecture of templon (stone sanctuary barrier), did not change significantly during the Middle Ages. Certain changes can be traced in relation to the position of the representations of Christ and the Holy Virgin, which are important for understanding the function of the templon. At the beginning of the fourteenth century, a rather small church, dedicated to Saints Joachim and Anna, was built in the Studenica Monastery. The remains of the marble closure slabs testify to the existence of a stone templon. A reassessment of the available data has led us to propose analysis of the original form of the templon, with the frescoes of Christ and the Holy Virgin being its constituent parts, painted directly to the north and south of the barrier.