Govora Monastery

The monastery was partially constructed during the reign of Vlad Dracul Voivode (ruling prince), to the end of the 14th century and the beginning of the 15th century. In 1440, during the reign of his son, Vlad Ţepeş Voivode, it was devastated by boyar (noblemen) Albu cel Mare, and thereafter reconstructed during the reigns of Vlad Călugarul Voivode and Radu cel Mare Voivode between 1492 and 1496.


The exterior of the church was craftsmanship decorated and the windows were embellished with elegant frames made of sculpted stones. The paintings inside the church were executed by master-painters Iosif, Hranite, Teodosie, and Ştefan, under the earnest care of Monk Paisie, the spiritual adviser of the monastery. The iconostasis is an exquisite piece of inestimable value; the icons were painted having a golden background.


The monastery underwent thorough repairs and alterations during the reign of Matei Basarab Voivode between 1640 and 1645. These restorations were made including for installing the printing press that had been donated to the monastery by Petru Movilă, Metropolitan of Kiev. In 1775 the refectory was constructed. The belfry tower and the monastic outbuildings, which are situated on the northern side of the holy establishment, were constructed at the beginning of the 18th century and several significant enlargements and structural modifications were made in the 19th century.


Between 1636 and 1642, in the printing house of the Govora Monastery, there were printed (in the Slavonic language) the following remarkable liturgical books: The Psalter, which was printed in 1637, The Small Book of Religious Rules and Regulations, which was printed in 1640, and the Govora Book of Rules and Regulations – which was the first code of religious regulations written in the Romanian language, subsequent to the printed works of Deacon Coresi (which had been published in Braşov, in the southern part of Transylvania). The rooms of the old printing house have been preserved until now.

The monastic complex was thoroughly renovated in 1957 and in 1969. (from 100 Romanian Monasteries)