Crkva Svetog arhanđela Gavrila

Church history

The Church of the Holy Archangel Gabriel, also known as the Church of Vrbica, was built in 1862 in Arandjelovac. Prince Miloš Obrenović ordered the settlement of the village of Vrbica, from which the province of Vrbica was formed in 1840. During the second reign of Miloš, the Serbian prince decided to build a church in this place and dedicate it to the Holy Archangel Gabriel, after whose name the town of Vrbica got a new name in 1859 - Arandjelovac. The election of this saint as the patron saint of the church was interpreted as remorse for the murder of Karadjordje, which happened on the day of the celebration of the Council of the Holy Archangel Gabriel.

Appearance and characteristics of the church
The stone for the construction of the church of the Holy Archangel Gabriel was brought from the nearby hill Klještevica. The works began in 1860, on the hill Porovac, which was located above the then center of the town. After the death of Prince Miloš, his son, Prince Mihailo, took care of the construction of the church. The Church of the Holy Archangel Gabriel is a single-nave building with 3 apses and a bell tower on the west side. This building is built of brick and lined with rectangular stone blocks. It contains a valuable iconostasis in the classicist style, which is the work of the painter Nikola Markovic. This iconostasis belongs to a reduced type, and was inspired by the iconostasis of the Cathedral Church in Belgrade.

How to get to the church?

The Church of the Holy Archangel Gabriel is located about 70 km from Belgrade, so you will need a little more than an hour by car from this city (highway A1 / E75 and Route 25).
If you decide to get to Arandjelovac by bus, then you can get to this church from the bus station in 2 ways: on foot (in about 20 minutes via Knjaza Miloša Street) or by taxi (in 5 minutes via Kneza Mihaila Street). You can call one of the following toll-free contact lines: 0800 32-32-32, 0800 22-22-24 or 0800 725-725.

Additional information
During World War I, Austro-Hungarian soldiers removed all the bells from the church of the Holy Archangel Gabriel and took away many liturgical books. In World War II, the church office was set on fire, so the chronicle and many documents from the church archives burned down. However, this church still gathers a large number of Orthodox believers and is a witness to the suffering of the Serbian people, but also to their endurance and unwavering faith.