Visit the Site of the First Serbian Uprising
The memorial fountain is located at "Marićević Jaruga," near the church. It was erected in 1954 to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising.
Weekdays: 08:00 - 16:00 Weekends: 10:00 - 14:00
In 1979, the Historic Site of Orašac was classified among the cultural properties of exceptional importance by the decision of the Assembly of Serbia. The memorial complex consists of the spatial unit “Marićevića Jaruga”, the place where, on Sretenje (Candlemas) in 1804, the First Serbian Uprising was launched. With the outbreak of the Uprising began a revolution that lasted until 1835, the year of the adoption of the Sretenje Constitution. For this reason, Orašac is considered the cradle of Serbian statehood.
The complex includes the museum exhibition, the Church of the Ascension of the Lord from the 19th century, the memorial fountain in Marićevića Jaruga, and the memorial school, which has operated in this building since 1933.
The museum exhibition presents Serbia on the eve of the First Uprising, addressing the themes of the uprising itself and the Assembly at Orašac, the great battles of the Uprising, the personality of Karađorđe Petrović, as well as the organization of the army and government from 1804, and the fall of the First Serbian Uprising in 1813.
“Orašac is a relatively young settlement, founded in the first half of the 18th century, specifically during the Austrian occupation of northern Serbia (1718-1739), when Serbian inhabitants moved there, hoping for a better life under Christian rule. The village likely got its name from the walnut trees that have always been present in the area.
The land on which the village now stands was inhabited even in prehistoric times, as evidenced by discoveries in the Risovača cave at the entrance to Arandjelovac. Numerous remnants and traces of human culture from the Old Stone Age (Paleolithic, around 3500-800 BCE) have been found in the cave. Collected pottery at the Ćelova Glavica site in Orašac suggests that a prehistoric settlement of an urban type once existed there.
In ancient times, this area hosted settlements of the Illyrians, Thracians, Celts, and Hellenes, which were conquered by the Romans around the beginning of the new era. Evidence of these conquests includes coins and pottery found in the villages of Misača and Banja, as well as the archaeological site of Roman fortifications in the village of Stojnik.
In the Middle Ages, the territory of Šumadija became part of the Serbian state under King Milutin and Stefan Dečanski. In the nearby village of Brezovac, Đurađ Branković built a church dedicated to Archangel Michael in 1444. The church was restored during the time of Prince Miloš in 1836 and became one of the first churches in Serbia at that time.
With the fall of Serbia under Turkish rule, Orašac became part of the Smederevo Sanjak and later the Belgrade Pashalik. Before the First and Second Serbian Uprisings, the Belgrade Pashalik was divided into 12 districts (nahijas). Orašac, as part of northern Serbia, was ceded to Austria by the Treaty of Požarevac and remained under Austrian occupation from 1718 to 1739. After the Austrians left Serbia, the Turks reinstated the old division into nahijas.”
“The village of Orašac developed around the Orašac Stream. Later settlers moved to the hills between Vrbljak and Misača. As a result, today, Orašac is a dispersed village divided into hamlets and clusters of related households. The main part of the village is located along the Mladenovac-Arandjelovac road.
During the uprising, Orašac had 30 houses, and the main economic activity was livestock farming.
Describing Orašac at the end of the 19th century, Kanitz noted that he saw ‘vineyards yielding poor crops; and the historically significant oak forest, where on February 15, 1804, a few brave patriots decided to launch an uprising against the Turkish oppressors, has been destroyed without a trace.’
In the Orašac area, on Misača Hill, Kanitz wrote that several centuries ago, a section of road was cut through the rock, 50 meters long and 15 meters wide. This ‘cut,’ which locals attribute to the cursed Jerina, led to the road from Smederevo to the town of Ostrovica, probably to facilitate the connection of nearby mines with the Danube. Kanitz further noted that the ‘cut’ was made by German miners employed in the iron extraction on Venčac.
The village’s economic development also included mining, with the exploitation of brown coal in the Orašac and Vrbica mines in one area and Misača, about 1 km away. These mines were closed in 1961 due to unprofitability.
Today, the main economic sectors are agriculture and livestock farming.
“The museum in Orašac was opened in the year marking the 200th anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising. The exhibition of the Historical Museum of Serbia presents Serbia before the uprising, the beginning of the uprising and the gathering in Orašac, Karađorđe Petrović, major battles of the uprising, the organization of the army, the organization of governance in Serbia from 1804 to 1813, education and schooling in revolutionary Serbia, and the military defeat of the uprising in 1813.”
“On the 200th anniversary of the First Serbian Uprising, the municipality of Arandjelovac erected a monument to Karađorđe made of white Venčac marble, standing 3.40 meters tall, created by sculptor Drinka Radovanović. The monument is placed in front of the memorial school.”
“During your visit to the museum, stop by our souvenir shop, where you have the opportunity to purchase not only books but also various interesting souvenirs inspired by the motifs of the First Serbian Uprising. We offer mugs of various colors for coffee and tea, shot glasses and flasks for rakija, clocks, small statues, and glass souvenirs with fitting designs. You’ll also find miniature replicas of the church, the memorial chapel, and the school, as well as jugs and small three-legged stools.”
Marićević Jaruga, Orašac
Phone: 034 6709 508
Email: info@nmar.rs
