Sava III of Serbia

Saint Sava III was archbishop of Serbia from 1309 to 1316. He died on 26 July 1316 (one source says 16 July). The Serbian Orthodox Church commemorates him on 26 July (8 August by the new calendar).

He succeeded Archbishop Eustathius II, after his death in 1309, and remained on the archiepiscopal throne until his death, in 1316. He received his theological education at the Hilandar Monastery and, as hegumen of the monastery, became bishop of Prizren. During his episcopal service he supervised the building works on the church of the Mother of God of Ljeviš in Prizren, and in 1309 he became archbishop.

His personality is important for the development of architecture in medieval Serbia. Before the building of the Banjska monastery, whose completion Sava did not live to see, King Milutin consulted him. In the charter by which he confirmed King Milutin's endowment to Hilandar, he styled himself Archbishop of All Serbian and Maritime Lands. Also during the time he stood at the head of the Serbian Church, the church of Saint George at Staro Nagoričane was rebuilt. According to the testimony of the Serbian archbishop Nikodim, his successor, he, fulfilling the testament of Saint Sava, gave steady help to the Hilandar Monastery. His portrait is painted in the Gračanica Monastery.