Sofia · Boyana · Bulgaria

Boyana Church

churchUNESCOfrescoesmedievalgoogle verified

easy

9/10

best: morning, weekday

intimate, historic, artistic

A local would say...

Medieval Bulgarian painters created psychologically realistic portraits in 1259 — 300 years before Leonardo da Vinci was born.

A small UNESCO World Heritage church on the slopes of Mount Vitosha, housing one of the most important collections of medieval frescoes in Eastern Europe, painted in 1259. The 89 figures in 18 scenes are remarkable for their psychological realism and individualism — created three centuries before the Renaissance — and include one of the earliest known European portraits. The church is tiny and visits are carefully limited to protect the paintings.