Morodvis
Encyclopedia
Morodvis is a village in Zrnovci municipality
, located in the base of mountain Plačkovica
, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of Kočani
, Republic of Macedonia
.
The village was inhabited from the 5th to 7th centuries, when it was abandoned. A church dating from the 5th century was discovered on this location, with a tomb as its centre. With its marble flooring and pillars and capitals decorated with medieval motifs, it has been concluded that this church represents a great example of the highest technical level of construction and decoration.
In the 9th century, the Slavs settled in the area.
From the 10th to the 15th century, the settlement was a religious center of the Bregalnica
region. During the last years of the First Bulgarian Empire
under the reign of Tsar Samuil it became a bishopric center in the framework of the Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid
. The prosperity of the city of the Morobizdon and Morodvis bishopric ended towards the end of the 12th century, when the Serbian church
became dominant in the region.
A Romanesque church
was also discovered, and it originates from this period. The church is an example of the medieval architectural concept, fresco
-painted, with flooring made in sextuple technique and church furniture made of carved stone
. During the 13th century, a new smaller church was built on the site of the older church, around which a necropolis was discovered, dating between the 12th and the 19th centuries, with more than 350 graves that contained artifacts made of gold, bronze, bone, glass and textile.
In 1347, as a result of a decision by the church council at its meeting held in Skopje
, the headquarters of the bishopric was moved to Zletovo
.
with a Štip - Kočani dialect
.
Zrnovci municipality
Zrnovci is a municipality in eastern Republic of Macedonia. Zrnovci is also the name of the village where the municipal seat is found. Zrnovci Municipality is part of the Eastern Statistical Region.-Geography:...
, located in the base of mountain Plačkovica
Plackovica
Plačkovica is a mountain in the eastern part of Republic of Macedonia which extends between the cities of Radoviš, and Vinica.The highest peak is Lisec at 1754 m, the length of main valley slopes of the peak Lisec is 34 km. Valley of river Zrnovska splits the mountain in two parts, eastern and...
, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) south of Kočani
Kocani
Kočani is a town away from Skopje, situated in the Eastern part of the Republic of Macedonia, with population of 28 330. The town of Kočani is the seat of Kočani Municipality.-Geography and population:...
, Republic of Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia
Macedonia , officially the Republic of Macedonia , is a country located in the central Balkan peninsula in Southeast Europe. It is one of the successor states of the former Yugoslavia, from which it declared independence in 1991...
.
History
The village is the site of Crkvište-Morobizdon, a complex of late-antique and medieval localities.The village was inhabited from the 5th to 7th centuries, when it was abandoned. A church dating from the 5th century was discovered on this location, with a tomb as its centre. With its marble flooring and pillars and capitals decorated with medieval motifs, it has been concluded that this church represents a great example of the highest technical level of construction and decoration.
In the 9th century, the Slavs settled in the area.
From the 10th to the 15th century, the settlement was a religious center of the Bregalnica
Bregalnica
Bregalnica is the second largest river in the Republic of Macedonia. It starts as a spring near the mountain city of Berovo and it passes near the cities of Makedonska Kamenica, Kočani, Vinica and Štip, before joining the river Vardar on its way to the Aegean Sea...
region. During the last years of the First Bulgarian Empire
First Bulgarian Empire
The First Bulgarian Empire was a medieval Bulgarian state founded in the north-eastern Balkans in c. 680 by the Bulgars, uniting with seven South Slavic tribes...
under the reign of Tsar Samuil it became a bishopric center in the framework of the Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid
Bulgarian Archbishopric of Ohrid
The Archbishopric of Ochrid was an autonomous Orthodox Church under the tutelage of the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople between 1019 and 1767...
. The prosperity of the city of the Morobizdon and Morodvis bishopric ended towards the end of the 12th century, when the Serbian church
Serbian Orthodox Church
The Serbian Orthodox Church is one of the autocephalous Orthodox Christian churches, ranking sixth in order of seniority after Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Russia...
became dominant in the region.
A Romanesque church
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
was also discovered, and it originates from this period. The church is an example of the medieval architectural concept, fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
-painted, with flooring made in sextuple technique and church furniture made of carved stone
Stone carving
Stone carving is an ancient activity where pieces of rough natural stone are shaped by the controlled removal of stone. Owing to the permanence of the material, evidence can be found that even the earliest societies indulged in some form of stone work....
. During the 13th century, a new smaller church was built on the site of the older church, around which a necropolis was discovered, dating between the 12th and the 19th centuries, with more than 350 graves that contained artifacts made of gold, bronze, bone, glass and textile.
In 1347, as a result of a decision by the church council at its meeting held in Skopje
Skopje
Skopje is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Macedonia with about a third of the total population. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre...
, the headquarters of the bishopric was moved to Zletovo
Zletovo
Zletovo is a city in the Probištip Municipality of Macedonia. Its FIPS code was MK48 ....
.
Population
Accordingly to the Census of population, households and dwellings of 2002, Morodvis had a population of 524 inhabitants. They were recorded on the census as speaking MacedonianMacedonian language
Macedonian is a South Slavic language spoken as a first language by approximately 2–3 million people principally in the region of Macedonia but also in the Macedonian diaspora...
with a Štip - Kočani dialect
Štip - Kočani dialect
Тhe Štip - Kočani is a dialect of the Macedonian language. It is member of the eastern group of the Macedonian dialects. This dialect is spoken in the central eastern part of Macedonia, respectively in Štip, Probištip, Kočani, Vinica, Radoviš and in the in surrounding areas...
.