The village of Drenkovo (known as Drenovo until 1960) is located 13 km to the west of Blagoevgrad. It consists of 25 populated areas; the central ones being called Balevska and Markovska. The village is located in the north-eastern branches of the Vlahina Mountains, at an altitude of about 650 m. The Drenovska River, which collects its waters from the eastern slopes of the Vlahina Mountains, flows through the village to the south-east, and west of Blagoevgrad and joins Struma River as its right tributary.
A number of archaeological sites dating from prehistory to the Ottoman period have been registered in the Drenkovo area. Remains of a large building from Late Antiquity have been explored in the Gradishteto area. The building is dated to the 4th-6th centuries AD. It is an interesting representative of the so called “quadriburg” type building, which is a fortification with a square plan, furnished with round, defensive towers built in each of its four corners. Today, the quadriburg has been preserved and restored, allowing it to be visited and appreciated. There are remains of a church built in the 16th-17th centuries in the area of the cemetery. The church has a single nave, with a strongly marked cruciform shape. A graffiti inscription from 1781 left by priest Martin from the Rila Monastery, can be seen among the frescoes. There are also ruins of fortress walls, towers, and buildings from the Middle Ages in the St. George locality. Finally, the church “St. Dimitar” located in the center of the village and decorated with spectacular frescoes, was built in 1890 and today is classified as a cultural monument.
Sources:
Encyclopedia Pirinski krai [Encyclopaedia Pirin Region, in Bulgarian], volume I. Blagoevgrad, 1995.