Velika Hoča and the beginning of the church estate in Metohija

Abstract

Immediately after the foundation of the Hilandar, Simeon Nemanja had granted it an estate in the surrounding of Prizren which consisted of nine villages, two vineyards, four apiaries, market place, 170 families of cattlemen (Vlahs) and other gains. The centre of that estate was to be found in the village of Gornja (today Velika Hoča). This settlement got the status of market place where goods manufactured at monastery's estate were being sold, and all other goods. The main export-oriented product of this Hilandar's estate was vine. The importance of Hilandar made other Serbian rulers create new monasteries in the surrounding of his estate. Therefore, there are estates of Bishop's Chair of Virgin Ljeviška from Prizren, monastery of St. Archangels, Dečani, and Petar Koriški are being met in this area. It is little known that the monastery of Studenica had its estate at this area as well. The reason for this is the destroyed Monastery's Chart. Based on the other charts we are able to partially reconstruct the estate of this important monastery. The existence of the two most important monasteries' estates in this area including a favourable geographic position made a lot of rulers create church estates here, which gave the whole area the name of Metohija.

Keywords

• Velika Hoča
• Metohija
• Hilandar
• Prizren