Jerinin grad

Jerina's town - the most important information

The medieval fortress Jerina's town is located on the hill Branig in the village Brangovic 5 km outside Valjevo. Serbian ethnologist Veselin Cajkanovic wrote about the origin of the name, believing that the name of this locality was originally Jelenski, ie Hellenic, as at the time of its origin the majority of the population in the area were Greeks whose culture became dominant. Folk tales, on the other hand, believe that the city was named after the cursed fairy Jerina, who was doomed to wander the city walls forever.

The significance of Jerina's town
Jerina's town has been declared a cultural monument of great importance. As the preserved part of the fortification spreads over 3 hectares, it was noted as the largest of its kind in northwestern Serbia. With its architecture and the artifacts found in it, it tells the story of the era in which it was created and explains the historical events of that period.

History of Jerina's town
The conducted research indicates that the city was built in the 4th century when it served as the episcopal seat for that part of the Balkans. The city and its fortification were destroyed and rebuilt several times during the barbarian invasion. At the time of Prince Caslav (approximately 927-950), it was completely abandoned, probably due to the Hungarian-Serbian conflicts. Geological research inside the church and one of the towers confirms that life inside the city took place in the late antique period around the 6th century.

The territory of Jerina's town was of great importance during the reign of the Roman Empire, as it connected Sirmium with Podrinje, which was rich in ores. Due to that, a significant regional center was developed in this place, which probably aimed at trade, processing and exploitation of ores. It is possible that the fortification itself was erected some time after the development of the settlement with the idea of protecting it. The community that lived inside the walls later moved to the estuary of the river Gradac in Kolubara, where the core of modern Valjevo was formed.

It was built on a high rock above the river Gradac, at the top is the keep tower, whose ramparts descend down the slope. The highest point of the fort is located at 414 meters in height, and the polygonal shape of the building extends to 320 meters in length and 220 meters in width. The walls are built of hewn stone and lime mortar. The style of construction is such that the access to the fortification is completely protected, sharp cliffs with reinforced ramparts form two sides, on the third is the keep and the fourth is protected by a river. On the east side is a tower whose role was defensive. This construction technique belongs to the tradition of early Byzantine military architecture.

Remains of a church that was destroyed during the Slavic and Avar siege at the end of the 6th and the beginning of the 7th century were found within the lower town. The church measures 13 meters by 9 meters and two rooms were found around it. The rooms were built after the construction of the church which is indicated by the difference in the age of their walls. The discovery of such a church indicates that life within the city took place in a well-developed settlement that consisted of many buildings, and the construction of churches had to be moved to the periphery. In a large number of buildings, layers of incendiaries up to half a meter thick and the remains of weapons were found.

What to see:
All the remains that have been found to this day have been preserved including:

Remains of the Keep tower,
Episcopal Church: next to it is also a tomb with the skeletal remains of 4 people, everything else was looted in the ancient period.
Hermitage in the rocks

Young researchers from the Petnica Research Center often explore this site as a part of archaeology programs, but larger archaeological excavations are not planned due to lack of funds. Finds from earlier archaeological excavations can be seen in the permanent exhibition of the National Museum in Valjevo.

How to get to Jerina's town?
Jerina's town fortification is located near the town of Valjevo and it is best to reach it by car. The approach to the fortress itself is difficult and steep due to its location and architecture, so you need to come prepared for a serious climb.

By car: From Poparski put it is necessary to follow the road 338 to Donja Leskovica after which the fort is near; signalization on the road will be of great help