The village of Velika Hoča is situated in the southeastern part of the valley of Metohija, on the northern brim of area called after the river of Beli Drim (White Drim) -Podrima or Podrimlje. It is at about 25 km`s distance from Prizren and Đakovica, and 3-4 km from Orahovac.
On gentle slopes of the mountain of Milanovac (883 m above sea level), natural and other conditions provided grounds for the formation of a village, the first record of which can be found in the charter of Stephen Nemanja, as early as 1198-99. Velika Hoča is one of the oldest settlements in the Republic of Serbia, the history of which can be fully reconstructed after mediaeval documents.
It has been known that Velika and Mala Hoča (4 km to the south of Velika Hoča) were granted to the Monastery of Chilandar in 1198. It was so until the Turkish conquest in the 15th century. The mere fact that the village was a metochy of the monastery of Chilandar had great, possibly crucial importance for its subsequent development. As a matter of fact, the great part of the valley of the Beli Drim River was the property of this monastery, and owing to favorable geographic position and vicinity of the medieval “trunk-road” Prizren – Ras, the village soon become the centre of the great metochy of Hoča (“Hotčka Metohija”), which also encompassed the great part of Prekoruplje (the central part of Metohija).
For all these reasons, as well as because of southern exposition of the terrain around Velika Hoča and rich soil, vineyards have been formed on large areas. Trade, wine export and viticulture in general were developed to such an extent that the emperor Dušan introduced tax (14th century). Almost all the landlords in the village had their own wineries (vinice) for grape processing. Those temporarily staying in the village, also engaged in wine processing, built numerous lodgings (konaci), mansions, summer houses and other buildings (monks from other monasteries, like Dečani and Devič, well-off individuals, etc). For that reason, Velika Hoča was recognized as cultural, as well as trade and handicraft centre of the region.
Stagnation and degradation of Velika Hoča began with the first run of the Turks, after 1455. These processes have been accelerated by the shift of the seat of local administration to Orahovac.
At the end of the 16th century, Velika Hoča rises again, but not for long.
The great exile of the Serbs, at the beginning of the 18th,century stopped the development of Velika Hoča once again.
Unfortunately, stagnation has been lasting until present. Since 1999, Velika, Hoča is subject to the international civil and military administration, UNMIK.
Velika Hoča is presently an enclave, a ghetto, like several other enclaves with the Serbian population that stayed in Kosovo and Metohija, whose life conditions are below the line of basic human dignity. However, features that make Velika Hoča an exceptional entity are: numerous preserved churches, ruins of the churches and objects of vernacular architecture, which by their antiquity, number and artistic expression (remains of fresco decoration and icons in particular), represent exceptionally valuable cultural and historical complex.
1. Planning Approach: Working out of the Strategy – MASTER PLAN - for protection, regional planning and development of Velika Hoča
Having in mind all the available data about natural and cultural values of the village of Velika Hoča, MNEMOSYNE Center considers designation of Velika Hoča as ambience, cultural and historic ensemble fully justified.
In order to achieve this, it is necessary to carry out the protection and categorize the whole complex in accordance with its values. Having in mind the extraordinary importance of two churches– St John the Baptist and St Nicholas, our estimation is that whole area would not be ranked in a lower category.
For that reason the elaboration of the Plan proposed by the MNEMOSYNE Center is the starting point not only for protection of individual monuments but also for the protection of the village as a whole. In addition to that, normal everyday routine of village and its inhabitants has to be respected in every single segment of the plan.
2. Action Approach: Implementation of particular projects aiming at all encompassing concept of protection of Velika Hoča as an ambience, cultural and historic ensemble, accompanied by strong support to the economic recovery of the village, which could provide grounds for repatriation of the exiled families.
Results of the valorization of natural / landscape and cultural, historical / monumental values of the village of Velika Hoča and its surroundings (MNEMOSYNE Center, Final Report: Project Urgent Protection of Heritage in Metohija, Belgrade 2003), confirm that the entire village and its surroundings /village area fulfil all the conditions for protection asambience, cultural and historic ensemble of extraordinary importance, in which certain objects and parts of the village should, moreover, be subject to special regimes of protection.
| Category | Number of cultural properties |
| World Heritage | 0 |
| Extraordinary importance, 1st category Church of St John the Baptist Church of St Nicholas |
2 |
| Great Importance, 2nd category | 0 |
| Protected, 3rd category Church of St Luke Metochy of the monastery of Dečani, Winery of St Stephen`s church, Memorial tower of Lazar Kujundžić, House of the Hadžispasić family |
5 |
| Recognized heritage Churches of St Stephen, St Cyriaca, St Anne, St Paraskeve, St Elias, Holy Virgin, House with the winery of the Patrnogić family, Lodgings and the winery of the monastery of Marko Koriški, Serai, Houses of Stolićs, Simić, Micić and Stašić |
13 |
| Total | 20 |
Methodology of the Strategy of protection, regional planning and development of Velika Hočais integrated in character and encompasses crucial elements of protection of natural environment, as well as those related to social and economic life, which could make Velika Hoča a destination of exquisite importance – a “little Pearl of Metohija”.
An efficient team should be composed of the following experts: town planners, architects trained in the protection of heritage, nature protection experts, experts in urbo-economy, ethnology, infrastructure, traffic, tourism; and other assistants (engaged in computer graphic processing, prepress, translation, etc).
Participation of the international experts from Italy, Sweden, Holland, Germany, would be welcome, since some of them are experienced in revitalization of heritage in Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as in Kosovo and Metohija.
According to data as of 1995, about 300 families making a total of 1500 inhabitants lived in Velika Hoča.
The population is Serbian. Until 1999, principal activities paracticed were viniculture, agriculture and cattle-breeding.
About 150 families with some 700 people make present population of the village.
Within the framework of the Project Urgent Protection of Heritage in Metohija, MNEMOSYNE Center made the complete technical documentation of the present condition of registered objects of vernacular architecture. Owing to financial support by Coordination Centre of Serbia and Montenegro and the Republic of Serbia for Kosovo and Metohija, it also completed the main project for the specified objects.
This segment of the project also implies a comprehensive education programme whichwould encompass not only desirable economic activities that should be supported (the education for grape processing and wine production, as well as for tourist and catering activities, etc), but also the organization of training courses and summer schools of conservation, restoration, promotion of heritage and heritage protection, protection of nature, language learning, computers, organization of life in local communities, and the like.
MNEMOSYNE Center would like to stress the importance and significance of initiating comprehensive education programmes in the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, particularly in Serbian enclaves confronted with unsatisfactory living conditions unprecedented in modern European history. Aiming at exciting the interest of both general public and the experts for the Velika Hoča issue, which would lead to the opening of the process of revitalization, with the awareness of peculiarity of living conditions in the enclave, which are, in the same time, a challenge in the light of certain current concepts like identity, ethnicity, material culture, etc, MNEMOSYNE Center initiated and supported logistically and professionally a group of students from Belgrade University in designing and realization of the Project Ethnological Research of Velika Hoča.
Social potential of the local community lies in the possibility to revitalize economic activities through preservation of traditional trades – viniculture, in particular, and, in future, natural and cultural heritage tourism. The value of economic offer of Velika Hoča could be increased if successfully presented scientific research were used to draw the attention to the uniqueness of the ambience and cultural significance of the enclave.
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The reconstruction of Center Mnemosyne web-site in 2011 was financially supported by Serbian diaspora in Canada, led by Dr. Đorđe Hajduković from Montreal.
Center Mnemosyne wants to express their special gratitude.