The big epoch of Serbian medieval art began at the end of the XII century and the beginning of the XIII century. In that period by the Great Prince Stefan Nemanja's coming to the Serbian throne, the independence was established. Also, the church independence was obtained thanks to St. Sava's merits. At that remarkable time, a large number of monuments of extreme artistic value named Raška School after the young state were created. Nemanja and his descendants founded churches and monasteries. The monumental style of medieval art was developed under big influence of Byzantium, i.e. empire masters coming from Constantinople and Salonica, Christian Byzantium carefully kept cultural heritage of the antiquity, without fearing pagan art. The most beautiful deeds of art created in the monasteries of Studenica, Žiča, Mileševa, Morača, and especially Sopoćani, represent the most important artistic values in Serbian and European arts of that time.