THE PRINCELY PALACE IN SAVAMALA – FOUNDING SERBIAN BELGRADE OUTSIDE THE TRENCH

Text topic: Studies

Text author: Тијана Борић

The princely court in Savamala has had an active and powerful role in constitution and promotion of the dynastic propaganda. With reference to the dual nature of monarchic government, a princely court does not exclusively refer to the residence of a ruler, but also stands for the institution of government that is a carefully chosen and structured space with the developed mechanism and manifesto of power. Planning, functioning as well as visual identity of any princely palace were always direct reflections of the royal image and the very nature of the actual regime. The palaces of the Serbian rulers changed abruptly in the 19th century, both in their positions and visual contexts, court ceremonies and the level of openness to the specific public. Those changes that have taken place at princely courts reflected the overall image of historical and social transformation of the Serbian state. In the early stages of his government, Prince Miloš understood and valued the power of political propaganda and already in the early 19th century he started and exerted an expensive public manifesto of power as his palaces had a crucial role in this important part of political programme. The choice of Serbian capital represented a key political issue. Prior to the official recognition of the autonomy and hereditary royal status, princely palaces were located in safely hidden landscapes in mainland Serbia. Now, when newly liberated principality was yet to catch up with the rest of the modern European states, Prince Miloš wanted Belgrade for its capital. The process of making the state/court complex in the district of Savamala revealed all the specific features of Belgrade and its urban development during the first half of the 19th century. Thus, raising the princely palace in Savamala will prove to be a crucial step in transformation of Belgrade into a modern European city