The Challenge of Kosovo.

The article focuses on the complex cultural, political, and art-historical challenges surrounding the medieval Serbian Orthodox monasteries of Kosovo, particularly Visoki Dečani, which remain under armed protection due to ongoing ethnic and political tensions following the breakup of Yugoslavia. While these monuments are central to Serbian national identity and heritage—embodying medieval Christian art and royal sanctity—they have historically also attracted veneration from diverse local communities, including Albanian and Roma Muslims, reflecting a shared but now largely lost tradition of interreligious pilgrimage and cultural interaction. The article argues that art history has largely neglected this multifaceted history of use and meaning, tending instead to focus narrowly on the monuments’ origins and original Christian contexts, which risks reinforcing exclusive nationalist narratives. It calls for a broader, more nuanced art-historical approach that acknowledges the contested and evolving significance of Kosovo’s visual heritage, thereby contributing to a more inclusive understanding of the region’s complex past.