Historic Necropolis Radimlja (BH_05)
Country or territory: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Name of organisation compiling the information: Commission to Preserve National Monuments
Contact name: Mirela Mulaluć Handan
Email address: mirela.m.handan@kons.gov.ba
Name and address of building(s) or site: Historical site of Radimlja with necropolis with stećaks (tombstones), Stolac
Inventory reference number(s): 01-275/02
Building type(s): Burial - Necropolis
Main date(s): 15th and 16th century
Current use(s): Historic site
Significance
Most of the tombstones, of the type known as stećci (sing. stećak) date from the 15th and 16th century. The most reliable evidence of the date of origin is an epitaph on one of the stećci, which suggests that the necropolis dates to the time when the Hrabren-Miloradović family lived in Batnoge or Ošanići.
According to the 1967 data there were 133 stećci in the necropolis. When the Čapljina to Stolac road was built in the Austro-Hungarian period, it cut through the necropolis, leaving 11 stećci to the north and the remainder to the south of the road. The assumption is that 20 stećci were destroyed on that occasion and used for macadamising the road. During the late 1940s, A. Benac took some archaeological soundings and determined that some of the graves beneath the most typical stećci had previously been excavated and robbed. Research conducted by A. Zelenika in the late 1950s, when the road was widened and asphalted, produced similar results. These works prompted and hastened the legal protection of this site.
In the number of monuments, the diversity and representative of all the basic stećak shapes, the relatively high artistic quality of the work, the wealth of decorative elements, relief carvings and epitaphs referring to known historical persons, as well as in its unusual site and accessibility, the necropolis with stećaks (mediaeval monolithic tombstone) of Radimlja is one of the most valuable mediaeval monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
General information
The stećci in this necropolis face north-west/south-east, with the head of the deceased to the north-west and the feet to the south-east. They are made of limestone from the quarry on the nearby Ošanići hill, some 800 m to the north-east of the necropolis, where one unfinished stećak still stands. The basic shapes were probably cut in the quarry, while the final treatment and decoration were carried out in the necropolis, to avoid damage during transport.
Following the customary classification of basic stećak forms, the necropolis consists of the following stećci: 36 slabs, 1 slab with plinth, 27 chests, 24 chests with plinth, 4 deep chests, 5 deep chests with plinth, 2 ridged, 31 ridged with plinth, and 3 crosses. A total of 63 stećci are decorated, making the Radimlja necropolis one of the most highly decorated necropolises in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Its artistic features make it one of the most valuable and important necropolises as a whole.
The decorations on the Radimlja stećci are executed in shallow relief by carving or a combination of techniques, with the emphasis on preserving the basic form of the stećak. The short scoremarks on the surface indicate the use of a hammer with a short cutting blade, while the flat surfaces were smoothed with hard stone.
The finest decorated forms are the ridge and the tall chest forms. The vertical sides of some of the monuments bear arcades with pillars and arches, indicating that the stećci represent the abode of “eternal repose”. The roof sections of the ridge-shaped stećci and the gable are particularly salient, with prominent eaves, zigzag carving or a broad line or ropeweave decoration.
Among the motifs of a decorative nature, those that stand out both in quantity and quality of treatment are vine leaves in threes and twisted bands, as well as motifs of a symbolic nature such as the sun (circle), stars and crescent moon. There are also numerous motifs of the cross, often stylised, as well as shield, sword and bow-and-arrow motifs. Animal figures are represented on several stećci, and the necropolis is also rich in human figures. Those that stand out in particular are the figures of dukes, and the figures of men with their arm held aloft. There are also scenes of combat, of hunting and of games.
Five monuments bear epitaphs, naming certain members of the Vlach shepherd family of Hrabren Miloradović (Donji Vlasi), and indicating that Radimlja was where they buried their inheritance “na Batnogah”. A further detail makes it possible to date the necropolis more exactly. Radoje Vukovič, nephew of duke Petar, and Radoje, a brother of duke Petar, belonged to the class of high feudal lords. Duke Stipan is mentioned on the inscription above the portal on the church in Ošanići, as well as on the large stone outside the church. Duke Stiepan died around 1470 and duke Petar was mentioned in 1477 as a chief of the Vlach summer pasture of Hrabrena. According to Radoja’s epitaph, the second son of Stipan died at a date later than the 1470s, while Radoja Vukovič, nephew of duke Petar, died in the 1480s or 90s. (Hrabak, GZM, 1953, 326-327).
Vlač or Vlađ Vlahovič and Stipan are mentioned in two inscriptions. From the shields on their monuments it may be assumed that they belonged to the military while nothing definite can be said concerning Vukac Petrovič.
Clerks or blacksmiths named Bolašin Bogačič, Miogost and Ratko Brativo(-)nič /Brativojevič) put their signatures to these monuments.
Research and Conservation and Restoration Works
- In the late 1940s A. Benac took archaeological soundings.
- A. Zelenika, an archaeologist from the Regional Institute for the Protection of Monuments in Mostar, conducted minor archaeological research in the late 1950s.
- The necropolis was set in order in the late 1960s under the supervision of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments of SR BiH. The cemetery area was cleared of vegetation and a hedge and line of cypresses were planted. A prefabricated café-restaurant, wholly inappropriate for the site, was erected; it was later burned down, during the 1992-95 war.
- In the late 1980s the Restoration Institute of Croatia cleaned and carried out the chemical protection of the whole necropolis under supervision of the Institute for Protection of the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina. These works carried a five-year guarantee, which expired in 1994.
Categories of Significance
- Of outstanding national importance.
- Of international importance – the Radimlja necropolis is part of the historic and natural area of Stolac on the UNESCO Tentative list.
Categories of ownership or interest
- Of national interest.
Documentation and bibliliographic references
Documentation
- Copy of cadastral plan with protected zones duly indicated.
- Copy of land register entry and ownership certificate.
- Photographs.
- Plan of the necropolis of stećci (A. Benac).
Bibliography
1. Documentation of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments.
2. Anđelić, P. “Doba srednjovjekovne bosanske države”, Kulturna istorija Bosne i Hercegovine od najstarijih vremena do pada ovih zemalja pod osmansku vlast (The mediaeval Bosnian State, Cultural History of Bosnia and Herzegovina from ancient times to the beginning of Ottoman rule). Sarajevo: 1984, 345-587.
3. Benac. Radimlja. Sarajevo: 1950.
4. Hrabak. “Prilog datovanju hercegovačkih stećaka” (Supplement to the dating of the stećci of Herzegovina), Glasnik Zemaljskog muzeja (Journal of the National Museum), n.s. Vol. VIII/1953. Sarajevo: 1953, 325-328.
5. Vego, M. Zbornik srednjovjekovnih natpisa BiH (Anthology of medieval inscriptions in BiH), I. Sarajevo: 1962, 64-71, no. 42-46 (with relevant bibliography).
6. Wenzel. Ukrasni motivi na stećcima (Decorative motifs on tombstones). Sarajevo: 1964.
Condition
2. Poor
- the site is at risk from the construction of buildings in the immediate vicinity.
- the site is exposed to specific risks (traffic, pollution, weathering factors).
Amount of war or associated damage
0. No damage
- the site had suffered no war damage.
Risk
- The site is at risk of rapid deterioration as a consequence of failure to provide implementation of the protection measurements.
Condition risk
D. Immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric, solution agreed but not begun.
The construction of new buildings in the immediate vicinity is jeopardising the site.
Technical assessment and costing
A project of urgent protection measures from further deterioration needs to be carried out.
On the National Monument on cadastral plots 394/9 and 363/19 the following measures shall be implemented:
- all construction is prohibited;
- any work other than thate carried out for the conservation and presentation of the tombstones is prohibited;
- all agricultural activities are prohibited.
The above part of the National Monument should be surrounded by a hedge. Within this area, the restaurant and pergola in the south-western sector of cadastral plot 394/9 may be restored to its condition prior to demolition.
On the parts of National Monument on cadastral plots 394/2, 394/174, 395, 396, 397, 363/8, 363/22, 363/23, 363/24, 363/25, 363/26, 693/1, 374/1 the following measures shall be implemented:
- construction is prohibited;
- all construction and infrastructural work is prohibited.
Within the area, agricultural works shall be permitted (vineyards are recommended) subject to the preservation of existing vegetation (the group of cypresses on cadastral plot 394/2).
In the area that includes a protective zone of at least 2 km from the outer boundary of the parts of the National monument placed on cadastral plots 394/9 and 363/19, the construction of buildings of no more than two storeys and maximum dimensions of 12 x 12 m is permitted. The construction of industrial buildings and facilities, major infrastructural facilities, quarries or the siting of potential environmental polluters is prohibited.
Costing proposals for projects and above-listed work are given within the Preliminary Technical Assessment and Feasibility Study for the Radimlja necropolis with stecaks.
Summary of stages is as follows:
Stage 1
Drawing up a study on the execution of conservation, restoration and protection works 17.900 EUR
Stage 2
Comprises conservation and restoration works 48.700EUR
Stage 3
Other works according to protective measures defined by the Decision
- Removal of 4 structures north-east of the necropolis 219.500 EUR
- Removal of car-wash facility 2.800 EUR
- Relocation of existing garbage dump 1.100 EUR
- Relocation of monument to the victims of Bleiburg 5.100 EUR
- Reconstruction of restaurant building 93.100 EUR
TOTAL 321.600 EUR
Stage 4
Making approaches to the necropolis and its immediate surroundings
- Rehabilitation of the natural surroundings of the necropolis 10.300EUR
- Planting a surrounding hedge 10.200EUR
TOTAL 20.500 EUR
TOTAL 408.700 EUR
Between 2004 and 2007 the Government of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina provided funds in the sum of 20.000,00 KM (~10.000,00 EURO) for drawing up Protection Programme
The nongovernmental organisation “Troya” has implemented a project based on clearing the site of self-grown vegetation and garbage and planting a hedge around the site. They are currently providing regular maintenance of the site.
Funds have been allocated from the budget of Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport, Tourist Association HNC, FBiH and UNESCO -130.000 KM. In 2008 the Federal Ministry for Regional Planning allocated an additional 54.654 KM. Stage 2 – conservation and restoration works on the stecak tombstones have been completed in line with project of Federal Institute for Protection of Monuments.
The road through the necropolis and new constructions still pose a risk to the site.
Ownership
- Private – most of the site.
- Municipality of Stolac.
Occupation
- Fully occupied in occasional use.
Management
The provisions relating to protection and rehabilitation measures set forth by the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH nos. 2/02 and 27/02) shall apply to the National Monument.
The Commission to Preserve National Monuments adopted a decision designating the historic site of the Radimlja necropolis with stećak tombstones near Stolac as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on the Criteria for the designation of properties as national monuments.
The Commission's Decision prescribes the basic provisions and protection measures relating to the national monument.
The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is responsible for providing the legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures necessary to protect, conserve, display and rehabilitate the National Monument.
The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is responsible for implementing the Programme for the on-going protection of the site of Radimlja near Stolac – Principles of Complete Protection, adopted by the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina at its 36th session, held on 15 March 2000, which provides for all planning documents and administrative acts on the basis of which planning permission for the erection of buildings or facilities has been granted to be set aside as null and void, and for the removal of all buildings and facilities from the central protected zone.
The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is responsible for drawing up all the necessary planning documents of an executive nature for the historic site of Radimlja. The area as a whole comprises the cadastral plots within protected zones 1, 2 and 3, as defined by this Decision.
The Ministry of Regional Planning of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is responsible for the implementation of legally prescribed protection measures. It is responsible for issuing planning approvals and permits for all works and construction in the protected area on the basis of planning and technical documentation approved by an authorised professional institution.
The Institute for the Protection of the Monuments within the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport is responsible for expert supervision, as prescribed by the Decision of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, and for the implementation of projects or parts thereof financed by the Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Decisions designating national monuments are forwarded to the authorities responsible for town planning and cadastral affairs in order to implement the measures prescribed by these decisions, and to the competent municipal court for entry in the Land Register.
Stolac Municipality is responsible, through its various departments and the buildings and planning inspectorate of the Federal Inspectorate Authority, for overseeing and controlling on-site activities.
The Municipality is required to append all its plans and documents pertaining to the protected area of the national monuments to the decisions issued by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments. The Municipality is required to refrain from all activities detrimental to the national monuments, and to co-operate with the Commission to Preserve National Monuments and the Entity institutions in the process of implementing the Commission’s decisions.
Pursuant to the Decision of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Commission to Preserve National Monuments is authorised to perform activities of international co-operation in the field of heritage. The Commission is responsible for the implementation of the project in accordance with the Rules for the implementation of donor funds earmarked for the renovation or protection of the endangered cultural and historical heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Commission oversees and considers the state of affairs and activities that could be detrimental to the national monument, and notifies the Entity and other authorities (the ministry responsible for regional planning, the heritage protection authority and local authorities) of activities posing a threat to the monument and proposes measures to protect it in accordance with the law.
The nongovernmental organisation Troya has cleared the site of self-sown vegetation and litter and planted a hedge around the site, and is currently providing regular maintenance of the site.
Summary
Before the 1992-95 war, the Stolac region, and the town of Stolac itself, was one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most attractive tourist destinations, not only in the south-east but in Herzegovina as a whole, with local and a significant number of foreign visitors. The geographical location of Stolac made it readily accessible from other, more important regional tourist destinations – Dubrovnik, Neum and Mostar. The area boasts several examples of different types of monument of considerable cultural and historical value, providing a snapshot of the historical complexity of the Stolac region and of the town itself. All these monuments are currently in a state of neglect. Some very important archaeological monuments for the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina are in the Stolac region.
In the number of monuments, the diversity and representative of all the basic stećak shapes, the relatively high artistic quality of the work, the wealth of decorative elements, relief carvings and epitaphs referring to known historical persons, as well as in its unusual site and accessibility, the necropolis with stećaks (mediaeval monolithic tombstone) of Radimlja is one of the most valuable mediaeval monuments in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The site is in jeopardy from the construction of building in the immediate vicinity. It is also at risk of rapid deterioration as a result of lack of maintenance and failure to implement even minimal protection measures.
The conservation and rehabilitation of the necropolis will lead to the promotion of its significance as a monument of outstanding value.
The long-term protection and presentation of the cultural, historical and natural heritage of Stolac Municipality will create the conditions for sustainable development not only of the municipality itself, but of the region as a whole.
The priority level of intervention is HIGH.
NOTE:
Condition
2. Poor
Condition risk
D. Immediate risk of further rapid deterioration or loss of fabric, solution agreed but not begun.
Sign. and date
Silvana Ćobanov, archaeologist
Zijad Halilović, historian
Mirela Mulaluć Handan, architect
2010
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