Archbishop Vavila

Vavila (Anglicized: Vavil; ; , before 1485 – 1520) was the Metropolitan of Zeta from 1493 to 1504 and the first Prince-Bishop of Montenegro (vladika) from 1516 to his death in 1520. Prior to being named Metropolitan he was the vicar bishop of Zeta under his predecessors Visarion and Pahomije.

The first mention of Vavila dates to January 4, 1485, in the charter issued by Ivan Crnojević ; the Old Cetinje Monastery was built in 1484–85, at which time the Metropolitan of Zeta was Visarion, while Vavila was mentioned as his vicar In 1514, Zeta was separated from the Sanjak of Scutari and established as the separate Sanjak of Montenegro, under the rule of Skenderbeg Crnojević. In 1516, Vavila was elected as ruler of Montenegro by its clans. This event marked the foundation of the Prince-Bishopric of Montenegro.

Vavila succeeded Visarion,

Vavila blessed Hieromonk Makarije's Cetinje Octoechos, printed at the Crnojević printing house in 1494, in which he was mentioned as the Metropolitan of Zeta.

In 1504, Roman is mentioned as the Metropolitan of Zeta.

After the departure of Đurađ Crnojević from Montenegro to Italy, His Holiness Metropolitan [Vavila] spent the rest of his life in Cetinje peacefully, not even prosecuting those subordinates [...] to restrain the wrath of the terrible sultan against himself, but even, flatteringly, strengthened [sic] them with spirit—so that they would not forget who they were and from whom they belonged, but to defend their people and their homeland from oppression and to represent them in every necessity and force.

— A passage excerpt from Sima Milutinović Sarajlija's History of Montenegro (1835).

Vavila died in 1520, and he was succeeded by Roman, the second vladika and metropolitan of Zeta.