Studenica Monastery was built somewhere around 1190, near picturesque canyon of Ibar, 11 kilometers from the settlement Usce on the Ibar's highway. From that place road winds through beautiful mountain landscapes, rich with coniferous forest and meadows full of flowers, along the fast and clear river Studenica, that empties into river Ibar near Usce.

The central position in Studenica Monastery is taken by the monumental Church of the Virgin Mary. It was built in the last two decades of the XII century, while the exonarthex was added later. Externally, the Church was built in the Romanesque style while the architectural forms of the building are in the Byzantine one. This fortunate combination of two architectural styles produced the new, particular building style known as Raska School.

Until revealing of this inscription (1951) it was believed that painting of the temple originated from the Nemanja's time, the end of the XII century. But, although the old paints were done on the three different backgrounds, gold, yellow and blue one, which confused explorers the most, all the frescoes in the Church of the Virgin Mary are nevertheless from the year 1208/9. The original frescoes have partly been preserved in the altar, under the dome, on the west wall and in the lower registers of the naveThe refectory occupies an important position within the monastery circle. It is placed to the west from the Church of the Virgin Mary and built in the XIII century probably in time of Archbishop Sava Nemanjic. The refectory had an upper floor, which is torn down. During meals a monk reads edifying texts to his gathered brethren. It was customary to paint the walls with frescoes whose subjects were suited to the purpose of the refectory. Today the walls are white, the result of restoration.