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Showing posts with label Vâlcea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vâlcea. Show all posts
One Piece of Wood Monastery - just photos
Today, some new photos from the monastic complex "One Piece of Wood Monastery", presented in our previous post here.
Bats' Cave
Bats' Cave or Saint Grigorie Decapolitul's Cave is located in Costeşti commune, Vâlcea County, Oltenia, Romania. One can reach the cave departing from Bistriţa Monastery, at 630 m absolute altitude and 80 m relative altitude, on the right slope of Bistriţa Gorges.
The cave was formed due to erosion caused by Bistriţa River, has three openings, a length of 400 meters, two levels, and a negative oscillation of level of 15 meters. It has a lack of concretionary formations; presenting more openings, the cave is dynamic, ventilated all year, so the thermal amplitude is high, and the climate is humid. In specialty papers, the cave is first mentioned in 1929 by Emil Racoviţă and bio-speleological research were made in 1951 and 1955.
In Romania there are several other caves that bear the name of Bats' Cave, but this one has a religious and zoological importance. In the wall of the lower level is a small church named Ovidenia, partly built, partly carved in the rock, dating from the 17th century. It represents the secret place where were hidden in harsh times the treasures of Bistriţa Monastery and the relics of St. Grigorie Decapolitul. Under the largest opening there is the Holy Archangels church, built by monks Macarie and Daniel in 1635.
The cave is home for several species of bats. Miniopterus schreibersi lives permanently in this cave; Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Vespertilio pipistrellus, Plecotus auritus, Barbastella barbastellus houses here during the winter; Myotis myotis and Myotis oxygnathus comes here in spring for reproduction and leaves in autumn. On the floor, under the colonies of bats, is a guano layer of 1.7 m thick, where the fauna is very rich (as the trogobiont species), the cave having a great bio-speleological importance.
Photos from here.
The cave was formed due to erosion caused by Bistriţa River, has three openings, a length of 400 meters, two levels, and a negative oscillation of level of 15 meters. It has a lack of concretionary formations; presenting more openings, the cave is dynamic, ventilated all year, so the thermal amplitude is high, and the climate is humid. In specialty papers, the cave is first mentioned in 1929 by Emil Racoviţă and bio-speleological research were made in 1951 and 1955.
In Romania there are several other caves that bear the name of Bats' Cave, but this one has a religious and zoological importance. In the wall of the lower level is a small church named Ovidenia, partly built, partly carved in the rock, dating from the 17th century. It represents the secret place where were hidden in harsh times the treasures of Bistriţa Monastery and the relics of St. Grigorie Decapolitul. Under the largest opening there is the Holy Archangels church, built by monks Macarie and Daniel in 1635.
The cave is home for several species of bats. Miniopterus schreibersi lives permanently in this cave; Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Vespertilio pipistrellus, Plecotus auritus, Barbastella barbastellus houses here during the winter; Myotis myotis and Myotis oxygnathus comes here in spring for reproduction and leaves in autumn. On the floor, under the colonies of bats, is a guano layer of 1.7 m thick, where the fauna is very rich (as the trogobiont species), the cave having a great bio-speleological importance.
Photos from here.
Arnota Monastery
Arnota Monastery is located in Costeşti commune, Vâlcea County, Oltenia, and it is one of Romania’s most valuable monuments, famous for its architectural style, sculptures and paintings. Initially a monastery for monks, today it is (since 1999) a convent for nuns. It is consecrated to Saint Archangels Michael and Gabriel and its dedication day is 8 November.
The monastery was erected by ruling prince Matei Basarab (1632-1654), between 1634-1636. Under the church of the monastery were found the traces of an older church. It is said that the ruler Matei Basarab decided to build this monastery on the site of the household where he found shelter in a difficult time, when he was chased by the Turks.
The monastery was renovated by ruling prince Constantin Brâncoveanu (1689-1714) between 1705 and 1706. He also added a porch with a belfry, and replaced the iconostasis and the front door carved in chestnut wood. He ordered the painting to be restored, with special precautions not to damage the previous layers.
Another restoration was made by ruling prince Barbu Dimitrie Ştirbei (1848-1853 and 1854-1856), between 1852-1856, who ordered its walls to be repainted, and its old cells to be demolished and replaced by new ones, made in brick. Important restorations were also carried on in 1907, 1935 and 1954-1958, when the construction was consolidated and provided with sewage and central heating.
The church is built in a three-cuspid plan, with apses, an open porch and brick columns. The mural paintings, among which the founder's portrait, were made by painter Stroe of Târgovişte in 1644. In the narthex there are the tombs of High Chancellor Danciu (Matei Basarab's father) and of Matei Basarab himself, whose remains were moved here from Târgovişte. A tall tower stands above the narthex, and another smaller one dating from Brâncoveanu's time, above the portico. The façades are divided into two registers by a frieze that imitated a face brick pattern; the superior register was provided with hollowed-out recesses in the wall, whereas the inferior register was provided with rounded-off recesses in the wall and beautifully rounded windows.
Photos from Resurse ortodoxe, Wikipedia, Ghidul Muzeelor.
The monastery was erected by ruling prince Matei Basarab (1632-1654), between 1634-1636. Under the church of the monastery were found the traces of an older church. It is said that the ruler Matei Basarab decided to build this monastery on the site of the household where he found shelter in a difficult time, when he was chased by the Turks.
Matei Basarab and his wife at Arnota
The monastery was renovated by ruling prince Constantin Brâncoveanu (1689-1714) between 1705 and 1706. He also added a porch with a belfry, and replaced the iconostasis and the front door carved in chestnut wood. He ordered the painting to be restored, with special precautions not to damage the previous layers.
Another restoration was made by ruling prince Barbu Dimitrie Ştirbei (1848-1853 and 1854-1856), between 1852-1856, who ordered its walls to be repainted, and its old cells to be demolished and replaced by new ones, made in brick. Important restorations were also carried on in 1907, 1935 and 1954-1958, when the construction was consolidated and provided with sewage and central heating.
The church is built in a three-cuspid plan, with apses, an open porch and brick columns. The mural paintings, among which the founder's portrait, were made by painter Stroe of Târgovişte in 1644. In the narthex there are the tombs of High Chancellor Danciu (Matei Basarab's father) and of Matei Basarab himself, whose remains were moved here from Târgovişte. A tall tower stands above the narthex, and another smaller one dating from Brâncoveanu's time, above the portico. The façades are divided into two registers by a frieze that imitated a face brick pattern; the superior register was provided with hollowed-out recesses in the wall, whereas the inferior register was provided with rounded-off recesses in the wall and beautifully rounded windows.
Photos from Resurse ortodoxe, Wikipedia, Ghidul Muzeelor.
Cornetu Monastery
Cornetu Monastery is located on Olt River Valley, Călineşti village (now part of Brezoi town), Vâlcea County, Wallachia, Romania. Initially a skeet for monks, it was transformed in a convent for nuns. The dedication day of the monastery is The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, 29 of August. In Romanian, Cornetu signifies a forest of European Cornel (Cornus mas) trees.
The monastery has a characteristic, probably unique in the world: the railway passes under it! When the railway was built through the Olt Gorges in the late 19th century, because of the narrow space it was decided to construct the embankments under the church.
The hermitage was built by marele vornic Mareş Băjescu and his wife Maria, great feudal close to the Cantacuzino (or Cantacuzène) family. He choose the place carefully, on one hand near his domains, on other hand near Transylvania, thus providing an ideal refuge for the founder and his family in harsh times to come. According to the original dedication inscription (Romanian: pisanie) carved in stone, the works were finished on August 29, 1666, during the reign of Radu Leon (1664-1669). Mareş Băjescu transferred to the hermitage the possession of Copăceni village, Saşa and Cornetu mountains, as well as some terrains in Pripoare, Titeşti, Ostrov villages.
In 1761, during the reign of Constantin Mavrocordat, a certain Alecse căpitan za Lovişte ordered to recover the altar painting, work done by painters Mihai, Iordache and Radu - as is said in another inscription located in the southeast corner of the nave. Another important moment in the history of the worship place is the 1808 fire, which almost completely destroyed the church and the cells, for a period the monastic life being interrupted. Only in 1835 the new abbot Irimah recovered the buildings and murals. During 1864-1949, the church was administered by Eforia Spitalelor Civile of Bucharest, which in 1885 financed the construction of the oak iconostasis, and a year later the painting of the wooden icons. Between 1923-1925, in cooperation with the Department of Monuments, were restored the dome of the tower and the shrine destroyed by shells during WWI (the fights of 1916).
In 1898, when it was dug the tunnel under the walls of the monastery site, the Department of Railways demolished a part of the old wall and the annex cells, building later the present ones. Were preserved the watchtower, the tower and the walls on north and east sides. The last major renovation was in 1960, under the patronage of Directorate of Historic Monuments, when was restored the mural painting.
The complex is surrounded by a square stone; on three corners of the enclosure rises polygonal towers and on the southeast corner is a pavilion. In the middle of the enclosure is the church, the only that kept its original form. Built on a three-lobed plan, it has a bell tower with eight sides over the narthex and the 'Pantocrator' tower with ten sides and narrow windows over the nave. The wall is from horizontal rows of visible bricks between plaster panels, divided by a double belt of rounded brick, that surrounds the niche of the icon of dedication on the western facade. The cornice is made of brick arranged in the shape of saw teeth, with a row of buttons below it and a frieze of glazed tiles framed by bricks set on edge. The pedestal is made of boulders in brick boxes.
Important architectural monument of 17th century, the monastery is considered by scholar N. Ghika-Budeşti as "one of the most interesting and the most picturesque of the time, as architecture".
The monastery has a characteristic, probably unique in the world: the railway passes under it! When the railway was built through the Olt Gorges in the late 19th century, because of the narrow space it was decided to construct the embankments under the church.
The hermitage was built by marele vornic Mareş Băjescu and his wife Maria, great feudal close to the Cantacuzino (or Cantacuzène) family. He choose the place carefully, on one hand near his domains, on other hand near Transylvania, thus providing an ideal refuge for the founder and his family in harsh times to come. According to the original dedication inscription (Romanian: pisanie) carved in stone, the works were finished on August 29, 1666, during the reign of Radu Leon (1664-1669). Mareş Băjescu transferred to the hermitage the possession of Copăceni village, Saşa and Cornetu mountains, as well as some terrains in Pripoare, Titeşti, Ostrov villages.
In 1761, during the reign of Constantin Mavrocordat, a certain Alecse căpitan za Lovişte ordered to recover the altar painting, work done by painters Mihai, Iordache and Radu - as is said in another inscription located in the southeast corner of the nave. Another important moment in the history of the worship place is the 1808 fire, which almost completely destroyed the church and the cells, for a period the monastic life being interrupted. Only in 1835 the new abbot Irimah recovered the buildings and murals. During 1864-1949, the church was administered by Eforia Spitalelor Civile of Bucharest, which in 1885 financed the construction of the oak iconostasis, and a year later the painting of the wooden icons. Between 1923-1925, in cooperation with the Department of Monuments, were restored the dome of the tower and the shrine destroyed by shells during WWI (the fights of 1916).
In 1898, when it was dug the tunnel under the walls of the monastery site, the Department of Railways demolished a part of the old wall and the annex cells, building later the present ones. Were preserved the watchtower, the tower and the walls on north and east sides. The last major renovation was in 1960, under the patronage of Directorate of Historic Monuments, when was restored the mural painting.
The complex is surrounded by a square stone; on three corners of the enclosure rises polygonal towers and on the southeast corner is a pavilion. In the middle of the enclosure is the church, the only that kept its original form. Built on a three-lobed plan, it has a bell tower with eight sides over the narthex and the 'Pantocrator' tower with ten sides and narrow windows over the nave. The wall is from horizontal rows of visible bricks between plaster panels, divided by a double belt of rounded brick, that surrounds the niche of the icon of dedication on the western facade. The cornice is made of brick arranged in the shape of saw teeth, with a row of buttons below it and a frieze of glazed tiles framed by bricks set on edge. The pedestal is made of boulders in brick boxes.
Important architectural monument of 17th century, the monastery is considered by scholar N. Ghika-Budeşti as "one of the most interesting and the most picturesque of the time, as architecture".
Drăgăşani Vineyards
Drăgăşani is a city in Vâlcea County, Romania, near the right bank of the Olt river. The city is well known for the vineyards on the neighboring hills that produce some of the best Wallachian wines.
Drăgăşani Vineyards have a history rooted deeply and intermingled with the history of the Geto–Dacians, 3000 years ago. Many documents from the time of Voivodes (ruling prices) Mircea the Elder (1386-1418), Vlad II Dracul (1436-1447), Vlad IV the Monk (1481-1495), Radu the Great (1495-1508), etc. all show that the history of this area is marked by culture of vine and wine production. The Vineyards were owned by Banii (rulers of Oltenia) Craioveşti and Buzeşti brothers (well-known family of Oltenian noblemen). Since the 18th century, the owner of the vineyards was the family of Prince Ştirbey. After the fall of Communism, the vineyards were claimed by Ileana, the granddaughter of Princess Maria Ştirbey and restored since 2001.
Ştirbey Wines - synonymous with outstanding quality - were well known and appreciated in Romania and all over Europe. Together with his husband, Baron Jakob Kripp, the heir of Princess renovated the vineyards and installed state-of-the-art wine making technology, yet still preserving the gentle and attentive old traditions of vintners and intending to guide this tradition to a new renaissance. Their most important objectives are: furthering indigenous grape varieties and their specific characteristics, rediscovery of the regional "terroir", natural vineyard maintenance, gentle and clean grape processing in the wine cellars, use of modern wine making technology only where absolutely necessary.
Many plantations slopes of three rows of hills parallel with river Olt, being situated on brown and brown-reddish forest soils, some of them medium podsol, rich in limestone, situated on alluvial gravel. The Drăgăşani Vineyards, with the most important terroirs at Amărăşti, Cerna, Sâmbureşti, Guşoeni, Zăvideni, Prundeni and Iancu Jianu are situated on low altitude hills. Until the phylloxera epidemic (1890), Drăgăşani wines were obtained from old indigenous grapes Gordan, Crâmpoşie, Braghină and Tămâioasă Românească. Tulburelul de Drăgăşani is a popular wine made from a blend of the above grape varieties, has been enjoyed for many centuries. Some of the most sought after grape varieties in Europe are currently grown in this vineyard. Long-term success at international competitions confirms the reputation of wine from this region.
Wines from Drăgăşani, on occasion of universal expositions from Paris (1867, 1889, 1900), at expositions from Milano (1908) and from Gand (1912), received gold medals and honor diplomas, to which are added the 300 medals, among the most brilliant ones, obtained in the period 1959-2006, on occasion of great national and international contests from Montpellier, Ljubljana, Freiburg, Tbilisi, Sofia, Budapest, Bucharest and so on.
Tonic, lightly acid, slightly frothy and having a long-lasting flavor, the wines of Drăgăşani have become popular outside Romania’s borders following world recognition. Today, one can still find here old Romanian vine seedlings, but also Italian Riesling, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Fetească Regală (a dry white wine which keeps its yellow–greenish color for a long time; moderately alcoholic, the wine is remarkable for its non-aggressive acidity), Romanian Tămâioasa (a glory of Drăgăşani vineyard, that holds an honorable place in the range of the Romanian flavored white wines) are produced here. Tasting the white, red and rosé wines, we invite you to experience the traditions of Prince Ştirbey's Wines, as well as the perfumes and tastes from the yet undiscovered nature of Romania.
Inter-war coat-of-arms of Drăgăşani
Drăgăşani Vineyards have a history rooted deeply and intermingled with the history of the Geto–Dacians, 3000 years ago. Many documents from the time of Voivodes (ruling prices) Mircea the Elder (1386-1418), Vlad II Dracul (1436-1447), Vlad IV the Monk (1481-1495), Radu the Great (1495-1508), etc. all show that the history of this area is marked by culture of vine and wine production. The Vineyards were owned by Banii (rulers of Oltenia) Craioveşti and Buzeşti brothers (well-known family of Oltenian noblemen). Since the 18th century, the owner of the vineyards was the family of Prince Ştirbey. After the fall of Communism, the vineyards were claimed by Ileana, the granddaughter of Princess Maria Ştirbey and restored since 2001.
Barbu Ştirbey (1796-1869), ruler of Wallachia (portrait by Ioan Negulici)
Ştirbey Wines - synonymous with outstanding quality - were well known and appreciated in Romania and all over Europe. Together with his husband, Baron Jakob Kripp, the heir of Princess renovated the vineyards and installed state-of-the-art wine making technology, yet still preserving the gentle and attentive old traditions of vintners and intending to guide this tradition to a new renaissance. Their most important objectives are: furthering indigenous grape varieties and their specific characteristics, rediscovery of the regional "terroir", natural vineyard maintenance, gentle and clean grape processing in the wine cellars, use of modern wine making technology only where absolutely necessary.
The vineyards in the early 20th century
Many plantations slopes of three rows of hills parallel with river Olt, being situated on brown and brown-reddish forest soils, some of them medium podsol, rich in limestone, situated on alluvial gravel. The Drăgăşani Vineyards, with the most important terroirs at Amărăşti, Cerna, Sâmbureşti, Guşoeni, Zăvideni, Prundeni and Iancu Jianu are situated on low altitude hills. Until the phylloxera epidemic (1890), Drăgăşani wines were obtained from old indigenous grapes Gordan, Crâmpoşie, Braghină and Tămâioasă Românească. Tulburelul de Drăgăşani is a popular wine made from a blend of the above grape varieties, has been enjoyed for many centuries. Some of the most sought after grape varieties in Europe are currently grown in this vineyard. Long-term success at international competitions confirms the reputation of wine from this region.
The vineyards now
Wines from Drăgăşani, on occasion of universal expositions from Paris (1867, 1889, 1900), at expositions from Milano (1908) and from Gand (1912), received gold medals and honor diplomas, to which are added the 300 medals, among the most brilliant ones, obtained in the period 1959-2006, on occasion of great national and international contests from Montpellier, Ljubljana, Freiburg, Tbilisi, Sofia, Budapest, Bucharest and so on.
Ştirbey Manor, a place for wine tasting
Tonic, lightly acid, slightly frothy and having a long-lasting flavor, the wines of Drăgăşani have become popular outside Romania’s borders following world recognition. Today, one can still find here old Romanian vine seedlings, but also Italian Riesling, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Fetească Regală (a dry white wine which keeps its yellow–greenish color for a long time; moderately alcoholic, the wine is remarkable for its non-aggressive acidity), Romanian Tămâioasa (a glory of Drăgăşani vineyard, that holds an honorable place in the range of the Romanian flavored white wines) are produced here. Tasting the white, red and rosé wines, we invite you to experience the traditions of Prince Ştirbey's Wines, as well as the perfumes and tastes from the yet undiscovered nature of Romania.
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