Dear citizens of Aranđelovac,
Happy City Day to us. Due to the circumstances we find ourselves in, we will not celebrate it ceremoniously this year, but let’s take a moment to remember how and by whose decision our town got its name and why today is celebrated as City Day…
In the mid-1830s, the process of urbanizing villages and towns in Serbia began. By the decree of Prince Miloš on March 8/20, 1837, the village of Vrbić started to develop, initially forming a street and then a small town that soon became the center of the Jasenica district and the economic hub of this part of Šumadija. With the fall of the Obrenović dynasty in 1842, the town of Vrbić lost its previous significance.
With the Holy Andrew Assembly held in Belgrade on November 30 / December 12, 1858, the period of the second rule of the Obrenović dynasty began. Traveling across Serbia in the following year, 1859, Prince Miloš visited Bukovik Spa and the town, spending three days here from July 26 to 29. This three-day visit by Prince Miloš was of great importance for the people of Vrbić. Satisfied with the reception, the prince ordered that the district house, which had been moved to Topola during Prince Aleksandar Karađorđević’s reign, be returned to this town at the request of its citizens. He promised to build a church in honor of St. Archangel Gabriel at his own expense, in a location chosen by District Chief Živojin Joksimović in agreement with the locals. On that occasion, he ordered that the town of Vrbić henceforth be called Aranđelovac. Soon, the name of Vrbić was officially changed to Aranđelovac.