Person

Saint Sava

c. 1174–1236 · 13th century · Also known as Rastko Nemanjić, Sava Nemanjić

Saint Sava, born Rastko Nemanjić, was the youngest son of the Serbian ruler Stefan Nemanja. He became a monk on Mount Athos, where with his father he founded Hilandar monastery in 1198, and in 1219 he obtained self-governing status for the Serbian Church from the Patriarch of Constantinople, becoming its first archbishop. He wrote early Serbian literary and legal works and is Serbia's patron saint.

Saint Sava
Image: Unknown authorUnknown author · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

Grand Principality of SerbiaDuchy of Saint Sava

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Saint Sava. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/saint-sava
MLA
“Saint Sava.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/saint-sava. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Saint Sava.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/saint-sava.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Saint Sava’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/saint-sava (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻