Municipality of Staro Nagorichane
Medieval heritage municipality preserving 11th-century Byzantine church with Palaiologan Renaissance frescoes, near the ancient Via Egnatia.
Staro Nagoričane exists where the Via Egnatia once passed and medieval kings built churches for the ages. This municipality of under 6,000 residents in northeastern North Macedonia preserves the Church of St. George—constructed in 1071 by Byzantine Emperor Romanos IV Diogenes, reconstructed 1313-1318 by Serbian King Stefan Milutin, and painted with frescoes by Michael Astrapas that represent the pinnacle of Palaiologan Renaissance art.
The formation era layered civilizations: Roman roads, Byzantine basilicas, Serbian royal endowments, and Ottoman centuries. The double Church of St. George and St. Nicholas at Suv Orah (1592) represents unique Balkan architecture—two naves with two-sided apses found perhaps nowhere else on the peninsula. The Zebernjak memorial ossuary commemorates Serbian victory in the World War I Battle of Kumanovo. The Kostoperska Rock preserves rock art from prehistoric settlement.
Today Staro Nagoričane operates as a rural municipality with Serbian-majority demographics (approximately 80% in the 2002 census). The historical and ecclesiastical heritage that distinguishes the area has not translated into significant tourism revenue. The municipality borders Serbia to the north, creating cross-border connections with ethnic kin, while Kumanovo Municipality to the west provides the nearest urban services. Via Egnatia stone paths remain visitable.
By 2026, Staro Nagoričane's extraordinary medieval heritage awaits development into cultural tourism that could sustain the small population. The Astrapas frescoes and unique church architecture attract specialists but not mass visitors. Without infrastructure connecting heritage sites to tourist flows, the municipality remains underutilized despite irreplaceable assets.