Serbian art

Serbian art refers to the art of the Serbs and Serbia.

The territory of today's Serbia has been inhabited since pre-historical times. Indeed, Sirmium (now Sremska Mitrovica) is one of the oldest settlements in Europe with archaeologists tracing some form of urban life as far back as 5000 BC.

The Romans conquered Sirmium in the 1st century AD and in the latter history of the Roman Empire, Sirmium was one of the four capital cities of the Tetrarchy with the Emperor Galerius establishing his capital there. It had architecture befitting its status including palaces, large public buildings and baths and marketplaces. Galerius also built temples and a palace at a site in Gamzigrad near Zaječar in honour of his mother Romula.

Medieval visual arts

There was an early Byzantine city generally thought to be Justiniana Prima (Caričin Grad) built near today's city of Leskovac with an acropolis and secular and church buildings in the lower part of the town. However, it wasn't until Serbia fully converted to Christianity in the 7th- 9th centuries AD that a Serbian style of church architecture developed. Timber aisled churches with basilicas with a notable example being the Mother of God Ljeviška at Prizren.

Much of the remaining architecture and art from the medieval period is ecclesiastical in both urban and monastic churches. In contrast, there is little remaining secular architecture with the most extensive remains being at Stari Bar.

Church architecture developed under the patronage...
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