The monastery Matneshki “Saint Nicolas” has been founded in the 12th century and it was destroyed and re-built repeatedly. The monastery was an important literary and educational center in the Middle Ages and during the times of the Ottoman domination.
The monastery Matneshki “Saint Nicolas” in the proximity of the fountain Matnishkiya from the skirts of the Mountain Vratsa, at approximately 5 km from the village Beli Izvor and at 18 km north – west from the city Vratsa. The monastery is situated on a land road which is situated on the left part of the road towards Varshetz.
It isn’t known when it was founded the monastery, but it was most likely before the XVIth century, taking into account the books kept from 1578 and other liturgical books.
The monastery Matneshki was an important spiritual and educational center during the times of the Ottoman domination. Ruined by the Turks and by the bandits, it was re-built repeatedly after that.
Besides the small church, the monastery Matneshki had one four commercial and residential buildings with 16 cells and other rooms for the monks and for the visitors. Today it remained an almost demolished building. The monastery’s church “Saint Nicolas” is a basilica with two buttresses in the northern part and the southern wall and the tower from the entrance from the west. In the interior it is decorated with frescos which date back to the XVIth – XVIIth century, but unfortunately in a later period they were covered with a layer of chalk of thin paint and now they can’t see too much.
The last time when the monastery Matneshki was renovated was in the XIXth century. It hasn’t functioned since ten years, being robbed repeatedly, it was drowned into forgetfulness.
Currently the church is almost repaired and it was built a new iconostasis.
For two years, the monastery was commanded by a devotional person who lives in the only cell which survived from the former cells.
In the proximity of the monastery there is found a big fountain – a fountain with healing power.