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Showing posts with label UNESCO World Heritage Site. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UNESCO World Heritage Site. Show all posts
Humor Monastery
Humor Monastery is located about 5 km north of the town of Gura Humorului, Bukovina, Romania. It is a monastery for nuns dedicated to the Dormition of Virgin Mary, or Theotokos. It was built in 1530 by Teodor Bubuiog, high chancellor of ruling prince Petru Rareş. The monastery was closed in 1786 and was not reopened until 1990. The monastery is listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.
The ruins of the first church of Humor Monastery, or Homor, as it was known at that time, are about 500 m down the road. A document issued by ruling prince Alexandru cel Bun in 1415 confirmed that Judge Ivan (Oană) had built a monastery in Homor. Judge Ivan was a wealthy boyar who also had houses and a stone church in Tulova. The ruins show a small monastic church with three apses, and possibly a dome above the naos, as indicated by the massive supporting pilasters in the corners of the room. A square pronaos was added to the structure some time later. The church was built of massive blocks of stone, decorated outside with enameled ceramic discs and painted inside, as fragments of paint recovered by archaeologists show.
The church is smaller than other churches of the painted monasteries and does not have any cupolas. Otherwise, it preserves the same traditional three-cusped plan proper to most other painted monasteries. Humor is protected by a wooden stockade rather than a stone rampart, and lacks the characteristic spire - indicating that it was founded by a boyar, not the ruler. The belfry with a belvedere was erected in 1641, under Vasile Lupu's rule.
The particular element is the open porch with arches, an innovation for that time. The open porch is separated from the nave by three columns connected through broken arches which have crossed vaults. The windows frames are Gothic. The open porch with arcades was the first of its kind to be built in Bukovina, an innovation influenced by both the local building tradition (veranda, terrace) and the foreign Renaissance (the lodge found later in the Brâncovenesc style). Another innovation is the tainiţa, a hidden place above the burial-vault, where precious objects were kept in harsh times.
Humor was one of the first of Bukovina's painted monasteries to be frescoed and, along with Voroneţ, is probably the best preserved. The dominant color of the frescoes is a reddish brown, completed nevertheless by rich blues and greens. The master painter responsible for Humor's frescoes, which were painted in 1535, is one Toma of Suceava.
The subjects of the frescoes at Humor include the Siege of Constantinople and the Last Judgment, common on the exterior of the painted monasteries of Bukovina, but also the Hymn to the Virgin inspired by the poem of Patriarch Sergius of Constantinople relating to the miraculous intervention of the Theotokos in saving the city from Persian conquest in 626. The Persians are, however, depicted as Turks which is a common device in these monasteries, their paintings being used in part for political propaganda in addition to their spiritual meaning.
The tombstone of Teodor Bubuiog is situated under his portrait and that of his wife’s. Petru Rares and his wife are both buried in the monastery church as well. Humor Monastery held for many years the valuable 'Humor Gospel', a book dating back to 1473, painted by monk Nicodim and displaying a famous portrait of Stephen the Great. The monastery houses a valuable collection of icons dating back to the 16th century. The monastery, underwent several restoration works, in 1868, 1888, 1960-1961, 1967-1970, and 1971-1972, when the paintings were washed.
Sources: Wikipedia, Romanian Monasteries, Orthodox Photos
The ruins of the first church of Humor Monastery, or Homor, as it was known at that time, are about 500 m down the road. A document issued by ruling prince Alexandru cel Bun in 1415 confirmed that Judge Ivan (Oană) had built a monastery in Homor. Judge Ivan was a wealthy boyar who also had houses and a stone church in Tulova. The ruins show a small monastic church with three apses, and possibly a dome above the naos, as indicated by the massive supporting pilasters in the corners of the room. A square pronaos was added to the structure some time later. The church was built of massive blocks of stone, decorated outside with enameled ceramic discs and painted inside, as fragments of paint recovered by archaeologists show.
The church is smaller than other churches of the painted monasteries and does not have any cupolas. Otherwise, it preserves the same traditional three-cusped plan proper to most other painted monasteries. Humor is protected by a wooden stockade rather than a stone rampart, and lacks the characteristic spire - indicating that it was founded by a boyar, not the ruler. The belfry with a belvedere was erected in 1641, under Vasile Lupu's rule.
The particular element is the open porch with arches, an innovation for that time. The open porch is separated from the nave by three columns connected through broken arches which have crossed vaults. The windows frames are Gothic. The open porch with arcades was the first of its kind to be built in Bukovina, an innovation influenced by both the local building tradition (veranda, terrace) and the foreign Renaissance (the lodge found later in the Brâncovenesc style). Another innovation is the tainiţa, a hidden place above the burial-vault, where precious objects were kept in harsh times.
Humor was one of the first of Bukovina's painted monasteries to be frescoed and, along with Voroneţ, is probably the best preserved. The dominant color of the frescoes is a reddish brown, completed nevertheless by rich blues and greens. The master painter responsible for Humor's frescoes, which were painted in 1535, is one Toma of Suceava.
The subjects of the frescoes at Humor include the Siege of Constantinople and the Last Judgment, common on the exterior of the painted monasteries of Bukovina, but also the Hymn to the Virgin inspired by the poem of Patriarch Sergius of Constantinople relating to the miraculous intervention of the Theotokos in saving the city from Persian conquest in 626. The Persians are, however, depicted as Turks which is a common device in these monasteries, their paintings being used in part for political propaganda in addition to their spiritual meaning.
The tombstone of Teodor Bubuiog is situated under his portrait and that of his wife’s. Petru Rares and his wife are both buried in the monastery church as well. Humor Monastery held for many years the valuable 'Humor Gospel', a book dating back to 1473, painted by monk Nicodim and displaying a famous portrait of Stephen the Great. The monastery houses a valuable collection of icons dating back to the 16th century. The monastery, underwent several restoration works, in 1868, 1888, 1960-1961, 1967-1970, and 1971-1972, when the paintings were washed.
Stephen the Great, miniature in Humor Gospel
Arbore Monastery
Arbore Monastery is located in the northeastern part of Romania, in the Bukovina region, about 30 km from the town of Suceava. Arbore Monastery is among the famous painted monasteries in Romania and it was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.
The monastery was built between the 2nd of April and the 29th of August 1503, by Luca Arbore, in the village of Soloca, that he owned. He was one of the important boyars of Ştefan cel Mare, being since 1486 the gatekeeper of Suceava. He defended bravely the Suceava Fortress in 1497 against Polish attacks. Five month later, he erected the monastery, next to his private residence, meant as a family chapel and cemetery. Luca never saw the paintings of his monastery completed because he was beheaded along with two of his sons, having been falsely accused of treachery. The church was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
The church has a rectangular plan at the outside without a tower. The extremely elegant silhouette of the building is emphasized by the wall extension to the west by about 2,5 meters, and their union above, through an arch; originally thought as a space for the steeple, a new architectural element in Moldavia of the time.
It has remarkable fresco paintings against a predominant green background. The green is in five shadows and 47 hues combined with red, blue, yellow, pink and ochre. Unfortunately the secret of combining colors held by the painters of Arbore is now lost. However, scientists were able to identify thirty substances, including animal size, vinegar, egg, gall and honey. Restorers can now only stabilize what has been left of the frescoes. The interior paintings were seriously damaged in the 17th-18th centuries when the church remained without its roof.
The paintings were made by a team led by Dragoş Coman from Iaşi. The artist proves to be a genius: a widely-traveled man, he innovates, has a new vision different from the one of his predecessors, he succeeds in making a bold synthesis of oriental and western elements, well integrated in tradition though. Most of the paintings represent scenes taken from the Genesis and the Saints' Lives. They are delicate and vivid, whereas houses are drawn in perspective. The best preserved frescoes are found on the relatively sheltered south and west walls.
Among the most valuable scenes one may see are The Hymn of the Prayers to the Virgin, The Siege of Constantinople, The Last Judgment, The Prodigal Son and many others. The Siege of Constantinople is a syncretic representation of the attacks of Persians, Avars and Slaves upon Constantinople in 617. The Journey of the Magi, the Holy Virgin and other scenes show the painter's disposition to rocky landscape against a predominantly green background, like in the Last Judgment where he finds his own solutions to render the characters' movement fluid. In the Prayer of All Saints on the apse, Christopher, the defender against death, with Baby Jesus on his shoulder is also among the martyr saints, it is a unique and unusual image for Moldavia, influenced by the mural painting in Catholic countries.
The two heavy slabs of stone preserved near the church since the time it was painted, have fifteen small holes which used to serve as containers for the mixing of colors. Traces of pigment corresponding to the frescoes have been found in the hollows on their surface.
In the narthex, which also functions as a burial chamber, one may find the tombs of the church founders, Luca Arbore and his Polish wife, Iuliana, decorated with unusual Gothic stonework that bears a strong Polish influence. The icon screen dates from about the same time as the church itself. It is heavily encrusted with smoke, but paintings underneath are intact, preserved by the very grime which obscures them. Inside the monastery, an ethnographic museum with a rich display of the region's most valuable assets is worth visiting. The monastery was restored between 1909-1914 and 1936-1937.
Sources: Braşov Travel Guide, MarvaoGuide, CreştinOrtodox.
The monastery was built between the 2nd of April and the 29th of August 1503, by Luca Arbore, in the village of Soloca, that he owned. He was one of the important boyars of Ştefan cel Mare, being since 1486 the gatekeeper of Suceava. He defended bravely the Suceava Fortress in 1497 against Polish attacks. Five month later, he erected the monastery, next to his private residence, meant as a family chapel and cemetery. Luca never saw the paintings of his monastery completed because he was beheaded along with two of his sons, having been falsely accused of treachery. The church was dedicated to Saint John the Baptist.
The church has a rectangular plan at the outside without a tower. The extremely elegant silhouette of the building is emphasized by the wall extension to the west by about 2,5 meters, and their union above, through an arch; originally thought as a space for the steeple, a new architectural element in Moldavia of the time.
It has remarkable fresco paintings against a predominant green background. The green is in five shadows and 47 hues combined with red, blue, yellow, pink and ochre. Unfortunately the secret of combining colors held by the painters of Arbore is now lost. However, scientists were able to identify thirty substances, including animal size, vinegar, egg, gall and honey. Restorers can now only stabilize what has been left of the frescoes. The interior paintings were seriously damaged in the 17th-18th centuries when the church remained without its roof.
The paintings were made by a team led by Dragoş Coman from Iaşi. The artist proves to be a genius: a widely-traveled man, he innovates, has a new vision different from the one of his predecessors, he succeeds in making a bold synthesis of oriental and western elements, well integrated in tradition though. Most of the paintings represent scenes taken from the Genesis and the Saints' Lives. They are delicate and vivid, whereas houses are drawn in perspective. The best preserved frescoes are found on the relatively sheltered south and west walls.
Among the most valuable scenes one may see are The Hymn of the Prayers to the Virgin, The Siege of Constantinople, The Last Judgment, The Prodigal Son and many others. The Siege of Constantinople is a syncretic representation of the attacks of Persians, Avars and Slaves upon Constantinople in 617. The Journey of the Magi, the Holy Virgin and other scenes show the painter's disposition to rocky landscape against a predominantly green background, like in the Last Judgment where he finds his own solutions to render the characters' movement fluid. In the Prayer of All Saints on the apse, Christopher, the defender against death, with Baby Jesus on his shoulder is also among the martyr saints, it is a unique and unusual image for Moldavia, influenced by the mural painting in Catholic countries.
The two heavy slabs of stone preserved near the church since the time it was painted, have fifteen small holes which used to serve as containers for the mixing of colors. Traces of pigment corresponding to the frescoes have been found in the hollows on their surface.
In the narthex, which also functions as a burial chamber, one may find the tombs of the church founders, Luca Arbore and his Polish wife, Iuliana, decorated with unusual Gothic stonework that bears a strong Polish influence. The icon screen dates from about the same time as the church itself. It is heavily encrusted with smoke, but paintings underneath are intact, preserved by the very grime which obscures them. Inside the monastery, an ethnographic museum with a rich display of the region's most valuable assets is worth visiting. The monastery was restored between 1909-1914 and 1936-1937.
Sources: Braşov Travel Guide, MarvaoGuide, CreştinOrtodox.
Moldoviţa Monastery
Moldoviţa Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery situated in the commune of Vatra Moldoviţei, Suceava County, Bukovina, Romania. The Monastery of Moldoviţa was built in 1532 by ruling prince Petru IV Rareş, who was Ştefan III cel Mare's illegitimate son. It is listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993.
Alexandru cel Bun built the first monastery in Moldoviţa on the banks of the Moldoviţa River at the beginning of the 15th century. The site chosen was far from other villages, in the middle of the forest. He donated lands and Tartar slaves to the establishment, and the first community around the compound was created. The monastery is mentioned for the first time in a document of 1402, and successive other documents tell of new donations. There is no record of how, or when, the monastery was destroyed, but possibly an earthquake ruined it at the beginning of the 16th century. Only low stone ruins remain of the first church. It was built of rough blocks of stone on a triconch plan, with three apses. Originally, it had only a chancel, a naos and a narrow pronaos. When the monastic community increased in size, a second, much larger, pronaos was built to the west end of the edifice.
The Moldoviţa Monastery, the one we can see today, was rebuilt on safer ground. The monastery consists of a fortified quadrangular enclosure with towers, thick walls (6 m high, 1.2 m wide) and brawny gates, with a magnificent painted church at its center. The second (after Humor) and the last church with open porch, hidden place above the burial-vault, recesses in the apses and niches under the cornice - elements specific to the monuments of Stephen the Great's period.
The church is built on the usual triconch plan of three apses used for all monastic establishments. The church is rather long, as it has, besides the obligatory chancel, naos and pronaos, a burial chamber and an exonarthex. A graceful octagonal lantern tower with four windows stands above the naos, and a hidden treasury room was built above the burial chamber. The open exonarthex with large openings is its most distinctive feature. The long façades are smooth, except for a row of small niches that surrounds the whole church. The three apses are decorated with tall niches that reach almost to the eaves. The four big pronaos windows have pointed Gothic arches and stone tracery in the upper part. The other five windows are much smaller, with slightly pointed arches and a square frame of crossed rods.
The church was painted in 1537 both inside and outside. It is said that Moldoviţa's frescoes were painted by Toma of Suceava in 1537, but the significant stylistic differences between various scenes indicate that there must have been several painters at work in Moldoviţa. The exterior painting of the Church of the Annunciation is the best preserved among all the painted churches of Bukovina. Especially on the south and east façades, there are paintings that have not been faded by the passage of time, and that are able to suggest how bright the decorated façades were during the reign of Prince Rareş.
Just under the eaves are 105 niches, each painted with an angel. On the western pillar, just to the left of the entrance and the tall opening of the south façade, there are three Military Saints on prancing horses and with either a lance or a sword in hand. Farthest up is St. George, then St. Demetrius and St. Mercurius. On the south façade is the Akathistos Hymn as usual. The 24 stanzas of the Hymn cover four registers. First come the twelve historical stanzas that recount the birth of Christ: The Annunciation, The Conception, The Virgin Mary Meets St. Elizabeth, The Doubting of Joseph, The Birth of Christ, The Way of the Three Magi to Bethlehem, The Adoration of the Magi, The Return of the Three Magi, The Flight to Egypt, and The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.
The inner painting is faithful to the tradition, but The Crucifixion (placed in the naos) is considered the most valuable work on this theme from the churches of Bukovina. In the apse of the altar, the scene from The Last Supper presents Jesus Christ in the center. The richness of the figurative and decorative elements is impressive, what the painting of Holy Mary is concerned, placed in the arch of the pronaos. The same can be said about the Gracious Mother of God, painting placed in the tympanum of the portal. The color specific to Moldoviţa Monastery is yellow.
The small museum in the north west corner, which houses several fine tapestries woven from pure gold and silver thread. It also preserves 15th-century manuscripts in which important references are made to the way the monastic school was organized, to the cultural activity in general. The Tetra-Evangelistary (1613) and a Psalter (1614) were written in a decorative hand here. Petru Rareş' princely throne (16th century) is the most valuable work of this kind in Moldavia. Of utmost value are also the embroideries donated by Stephen the Great (15th century). There is also a silver-chased Evangelistry presented by Catherine the Great, empress of Russia, which has not only a highly artistic and religious value, but also an intrinsic one, as each and every page of this book was made from the skin of an unborn lamb.
Sources: Wikipedia, Braşov Travel Guide, Romanian Monasteries.
Alexandru cel Bun built the first monastery in Moldoviţa on the banks of the Moldoviţa River at the beginning of the 15th century. The site chosen was far from other villages, in the middle of the forest. He donated lands and Tartar slaves to the establishment, and the first community around the compound was created. The monastery is mentioned for the first time in a document of 1402, and successive other documents tell of new donations. There is no record of how, or when, the monastery was destroyed, but possibly an earthquake ruined it at the beginning of the 16th century. Only low stone ruins remain of the first church. It was built of rough blocks of stone on a triconch plan, with three apses. Originally, it had only a chancel, a naos and a narrow pronaos. When the monastic community increased in size, a second, much larger, pronaos was built to the west end of the edifice.
The Moldoviţa Monastery, the one we can see today, was rebuilt on safer ground. The monastery consists of a fortified quadrangular enclosure with towers, thick walls (6 m high, 1.2 m wide) and brawny gates, with a magnificent painted church at its center. The second (after Humor) and the last church with open porch, hidden place above the burial-vault, recesses in the apses and niches under the cornice - elements specific to the monuments of Stephen the Great's period.
The church is built on the usual triconch plan of three apses used for all monastic establishments. The church is rather long, as it has, besides the obligatory chancel, naos and pronaos, a burial chamber and an exonarthex. A graceful octagonal lantern tower with four windows stands above the naos, and a hidden treasury room was built above the burial chamber. The open exonarthex with large openings is its most distinctive feature. The long façades are smooth, except for a row of small niches that surrounds the whole church. The three apses are decorated with tall niches that reach almost to the eaves. The four big pronaos windows have pointed Gothic arches and stone tracery in the upper part. The other five windows are much smaller, with slightly pointed arches and a square frame of crossed rods.
The church was painted in 1537 both inside and outside. It is said that Moldoviţa's frescoes were painted by Toma of Suceava in 1537, but the significant stylistic differences between various scenes indicate that there must have been several painters at work in Moldoviţa. The exterior painting of the Church of the Annunciation is the best preserved among all the painted churches of Bukovina. Especially on the south and east façades, there are paintings that have not been faded by the passage of time, and that are able to suggest how bright the decorated façades were during the reign of Prince Rareş.
Just under the eaves are 105 niches, each painted with an angel. On the western pillar, just to the left of the entrance and the tall opening of the south façade, there are three Military Saints on prancing horses and with either a lance or a sword in hand. Farthest up is St. George, then St. Demetrius and St. Mercurius. On the south façade is the Akathistos Hymn as usual. The 24 stanzas of the Hymn cover four registers. First come the twelve historical stanzas that recount the birth of Christ: The Annunciation, The Conception, The Virgin Mary Meets St. Elizabeth, The Doubting of Joseph, The Birth of Christ, The Way of the Three Magi to Bethlehem, The Adoration of the Magi, The Return of the Three Magi, The Flight to Egypt, and The Presentation of Jesus at the Temple.
The inner painting is faithful to the tradition, but The Crucifixion (placed in the naos) is considered the most valuable work on this theme from the churches of Bukovina. In the apse of the altar, the scene from The Last Supper presents Jesus Christ in the center. The richness of the figurative and decorative elements is impressive, what the painting of Holy Mary is concerned, placed in the arch of the pronaos. The same can be said about the Gracious Mother of God, painting placed in the tympanum of the portal. The color specific to Moldoviţa Monastery is yellow.
The small museum in the north west corner, which houses several fine tapestries woven from pure gold and silver thread. It also preserves 15th-century manuscripts in which important references are made to the way the monastic school was organized, to the cultural activity in general. The Tetra-Evangelistary (1613) and a Psalter (1614) were written in a decorative hand here. Petru Rareş' princely throne (16th century) is the most valuable work of this kind in Moldavia. Of utmost value are also the embroideries donated by Stephen the Great (15th century). There is also a silver-chased Evangelistry presented by Catherine the Great, empress of Russia, which has not only a highly artistic and religious value, but also an intrinsic one, as each and every page of this book was made from the skin of an unborn lamb.
Sources: Wikipedia, Braşov Travel Guide, Romanian Monasteries.
Suceviţa Monastery
Suceviţa Monastery is an Eastern Orthodox convent situated in the Northeastern part of Romania. It is situated near the Suceviţa River, in the village Suceviţa, 18 km away from the city of Rădăuţi, Suceava County. It is located in the southern part of the historical region of Bukovina. It was built between 1581 and 1584 by Gheorghe Movilă, Bishop of Rădăuţi, and finished by ruling prince Ieremia Movilă, his brother, and ruling prince Simion Movilă. Both the Movilă brothers are buried at the monastery.
Suceviţa is the largest and also the last built of the painted monasteries of Bukovina. The first foundation of the Movilă family, that preceded the present monastery complex was a more modest church, dating from around 1581. During the reign of Petru Şchiopul (Peter the Lame), the Movilă brothers became counselors of the ruling prince enjoying a prosperous economic position, and such began erecting an ample monastery.
Suceviţa was a princely residence as well as a fortified monastery. It is surrounded by thick, fortified walls. The enclosure walls and towers give the monastery the aspect of a medieval citadel. Ieremia Movilă added to the church two open porches (to the North and to the South); he also built massive houses, the surrounding walls (6 m high, 3 m thich) and defense towers on each corner. The legend has it that an old woman had been working there for thirty years, carrying in her ox wagon stone for the construction of the monastery. This is the reason why a female head is carved on a black stone in the monastery's yard. The church architecture has harmonious combination of the Byzantine and Gothic art elements.
Like all the painted monasteries, the church, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos, is frescoed inside and out. Yet, the Western Wall is blank. Legends say that the artist fell off the wall scaffolding and was killed, so it remained undecorated. Frescoes are painted in purple red and blue against an emerald green background and are the work of two master painters, Ioan and his brother Sofronie from Suceava. The inside painting is represented on the all available surfaces, according to the traditional iconographic program, but enriched by theological themes less customary in Moldavia. The two most outstanding frescoes are the Ladder of Virtue, showing the saints ascending to heaven whilst sinners (depicted as Turks) fall down to be taken by demons, and the Last Judgement, which was left unfinished when its painter fell from the scaffold and died. Another painting of note is that of the Siege of Constantinople, showing the degree to which this event affected the Orthodox Christians of Moldavia.
Suceviţa Monastery was first inhabited by monks in 1582. During the communist era, only nuns over 50 were allowed to stay at Suceviţa. Today it is a nun convent, the sisters living a simple life in daily prayers, and growing their land. The monastery museum keeps one of the richest and most valuable medieval art collections of Moldavia. Suceviţa Monastery is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sources: Wikipedia, MarvaoGuide, Braşov Travel Guide.
Suceviţa is the largest and also the last built of the painted monasteries of Bukovina. The first foundation of the Movilă family, that preceded the present monastery complex was a more modest church, dating from around 1581. During the reign of Petru Şchiopul (Peter the Lame), the Movilă brothers became counselors of the ruling prince enjoying a prosperous economic position, and such began erecting an ample monastery.
Suceviţa was a princely residence as well as a fortified monastery. It is surrounded by thick, fortified walls. The enclosure walls and towers give the monastery the aspect of a medieval citadel. Ieremia Movilă added to the church two open porches (to the North and to the South); he also built massive houses, the surrounding walls (6 m high, 3 m thich) and defense towers on each corner. The legend has it that an old woman had been working there for thirty years, carrying in her ox wagon stone for the construction of the monastery. This is the reason why a female head is carved on a black stone in the monastery's yard. The church architecture has harmonious combination of the Byzantine and Gothic art elements.
Like all the painted monasteries, the church, dedicated to the Dormition of the Theotokos, is frescoed inside and out. Yet, the Western Wall is blank. Legends say that the artist fell off the wall scaffolding and was killed, so it remained undecorated. Frescoes are painted in purple red and blue against an emerald green background and are the work of two master painters, Ioan and his brother Sofronie from Suceava. The inside painting is represented on the all available surfaces, according to the traditional iconographic program, but enriched by theological themes less customary in Moldavia. The two most outstanding frescoes are the Ladder of Virtue, showing the saints ascending to heaven whilst sinners (depicted as Turks) fall down to be taken by demons, and the Last Judgement, which was left unfinished when its painter fell from the scaffold and died. Another painting of note is that of the Siege of Constantinople, showing the degree to which this event affected the Orthodox Christians of Moldavia.
Suceviţa Monastery was first inhabited by monks in 1582. During the communist era, only nuns over 50 were allowed to stay at Suceviţa. Today it is a nun convent, the sisters living a simple life in daily prayers, and growing their land. The monastery museum keeps one of the richest and most valuable medieval art collections of Moldavia. Suceviţa Monastery is an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sources: Wikipedia, MarvaoGuide, Braşov Travel Guide.
Voroneţ Monastery
Voroneţ Monastery is located near the town of Gura Humorului, Suceava County, Moldavia, Romania. It is one of the famous painted monasteries from southern Bukovina, an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The monastery was built by ruling prince of Moldavia Ştefan cel Mare (St. Stephen III The Great) between May and September 1488. The monastery was built to fulfill a promise to Stephen's spiritual father and adviser, St. Daniel the Hermit, who had lived in a cell in the area, and to commemorate the victory over Turks at Battle of Vaslui (1475). Upon his death, St. Daniel was buried in the monastery church (with the exception of his right index finger, which was encased in silver and sent to Putna Monastery).
The monastery is located on a riverbank, at the end of the long and narrow village of the same name. The present church was built on the site of an older wooden church, the scanty remains of which have not been dated. The exterior, with its buttresses and door and window frames were related to Western European High Gothic. The influences spread from Transylvania and Poland with craftsmen who were invited especially to build churches. The church of Voroneţ that Stephen the Great built included the chancel, the naos with its tower, and the pronaos.
In 1547, the Metropolitan Bishop of Moldavia Grigore Roşca, a salient scholar of his time, added the exonarthex to the west end of the church. The small windows, their rectangular frames of crossed rods and the receding pointed or shouldered arches of the interior door-frames are Gothic. The south and north doors of the exonarthex of 1547 have rectangular frames, which indicate a transition period from Gothic to Renaissance. But, above them, on each wall is a tall window with a flamboyant Gothic arch. On the north façade is still visible the original decoration of the church, the rows of ceramic enamelled discs in yellow, brown and green, decorated in relief. These include heraldic motifs, such as the rampant lion and the aurochs' head of the Moldavian coat of arms, and creatures inspired by Western European medieval literature, such as two-tailed mermaids. The tower is decorated with sixteen tall niches, in four of which are windows. A row of small niches encircles the tower above them. The fragmented roof probably follows the shape of the original roof, which doubtless was made with shingles. The whole west façade is without any openings, which indicates that the intention of Metropolitan Roşca was since the beginning to reserve it for frescoes.
The frescoes were painted between 1534 and 1535, during the reign of one of Stephen's successors, Petru Rareş. They were commissioned at the request of Grigore Roşca. The names of the artists are unknown except for one master painter, Marcu. Because of the frescoes' vivid color, "Voroneţ Blue", a pigment created using lapis lazuli, has entered the artistic lexicon. During the half century that separates the paintings of the exonarthex from those of the naos, Moldavian art had evolved from sober and rigorous to more complex, decorative and lively. Floral decorations fill all available empty space, divide scenes and registers, and accentuate architectural elements such as niches and arches. The clothes of the figures turn from simple into sumptuous, and the bleak landscapes are now filled with vegetation. Details win ground where earlier spiritual intensity was most important.
Voroneţ Monastery is known as Sistine Chapel of the East due to its splendid exterior and interior frescoes.
Sources: Wikipedia, Orthodox Wiki, Romanian Monasteries.
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The monastery was built by ruling prince of Moldavia Ştefan cel Mare (St. Stephen III The Great) between May and September 1488. The monastery was built to fulfill a promise to Stephen's spiritual father and adviser, St. Daniel the Hermit, who had lived in a cell in the area, and to commemorate the victory over Turks at Battle of Vaslui (1475). Upon his death, St. Daniel was buried in the monastery church (with the exception of his right index finger, which was encased in silver and sent to Putna Monastery).
The monastery is located on a riverbank, at the end of the long and narrow village of the same name. The present church was built on the site of an older wooden church, the scanty remains of which have not been dated. The exterior, with its buttresses and door and window frames were related to Western European High Gothic. The influences spread from Transylvania and Poland with craftsmen who were invited especially to build churches. The church of Voroneţ that Stephen the Great built included the chancel, the naos with its tower, and the pronaos.
The Last Judgment on the west façade of the Church of St. George
In 1547, the Metropolitan Bishop of Moldavia Grigore Roşca, a salient scholar of his time, added the exonarthex to the west end of the church. The small windows, their rectangular frames of crossed rods and the receding pointed or shouldered arches of the interior door-frames are Gothic. The south and north doors of the exonarthex of 1547 have rectangular frames, which indicate a transition period from Gothic to Renaissance. But, above them, on each wall is a tall window with a flamboyant Gothic arch. On the north façade is still visible the original decoration of the church, the rows of ceramic enamelled discs in yellow, brown and green, decorated in relief. These include heraldic motifs, such as the rampant lion and the aurochs' head of the Moldavian coat of arms, and creatures inspired by Western European medieval literature, such as two-tailed mermaids. The tower is decorated with sixteen tall niches, in four of which are windows. A row of small niches encircles the tower above them. The fragmented roof probably follows the shape of the original roof, which doubtless was made with shingles. The whole west façade is without any openings, which indicates that the intention of Metropolitan Roşca was since the beginning to reserve it for frescoes.
South façade with scenes from the lives of Saints Nicholas and John the New
The frescoes were painted between 1534 and 1535, during the reign of one of Stephen's successors, Petru Rareş. They were commissioned at the request of Grigore Roşca. The names of the artists are unknown except for one master painter, Marcu. Because of the frescoes' vivid color, "Voroneţ Blue", a pigment created using lapis lazuli, has entered the artistic lexicon. During the half century that separates the paintings of the exonarthex from those of the naos, Moldavian art had evolved from sober and rigorous to more complex, decorative and lively. Floral decorations fill all available empty space, divide scenes and registers, and accentuate architectural elements such as niches and arches. The clothes of the figures turn from simple into sumptuous, and the bleak landscapes are now filled with vegetation. Details win ground where earlier spiritual intensity was most important.
Voroneţ Monastery is known as Sistine Chapel of the East due to its splendid exterior and interior frescoes.
Sources: Wikipedia, Orthodox Wiki, Romanian Monasteries.
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