SIGHTSEEING IN MOLDAVIA

BY:

SIGHTSEEING IN MOLDAVIA

Sixty monasteries exist in Moldavia. U.N.E.S.C.O. has put some of these monasteries, representative by their original architecture and polychrome frescoes (Voronet, Humor, Sucevita, Moldovita), on the world heritage list. Most of the monasteries were built in the 15-th and 16-th centuries, under the rule of voivode Stephen the Great, who erected them after each battle he won against the Turks. These monasteries combine the Byzantine influence with that of the Italian Renaissance. Mostly built following a trefoil pattern, they were the starting point of an original architecture system, known as the Moldavian arch. It is a nave covered by a dome supported by semicircular arches enhancing the impression of height inside the church. The frescoes, especially those on the exterior walls, stand out through the greatness of composition, their unity of style and laic inspiration. The colors of the frescoes, generally well preserved, surprise by their variety and originality, the Voronet blue being the best known of them. Religious edifices are the essential part of Romanias historical and religious heritage. Built in an architectural style combining Byzantine and Western influences, they express the originality of the local art; churches with exterior and interior frescoes in Moldavia. Generally, the churches are orthodox; however, many of them are of catholic and protestant rite.

The main sightseeing in Moldavia are:

1. The Neamt Monastery 2. The Agapia Monastery 3. The Varatec Monastery 4. The Secu Monastery 5. The Humor Monastery 6. Fortress of Neamt 7. Btca Doamnei Fortress (Petrodava) - Piatra Neam 8. Palace of the Cneji 9. The Medieval Complex - Piatra Neam 10. The Mountain Corps Monument 11. European bison reservation 12. Romanian Orthodox Episcopal Cathedral Roman 13. The Voronet Monastery 14. The Sucevita Monastery 15. The Black Ceramic museum 16. The Putna Monastery 17. The Palace Of Culture 18. Metropolitan Cathedral Iasi 19. The Moldovita Monastery

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Neamt Monastery. This abode was founded in the 14-th century. The

architecture of the big church is Moldavian style dating from the time of Stephen the Great. An impressive monument of architecture, the church achieves a synthesis of all the elements of Moldavian architecture, being an acme of the religious art at that time. Elegant, of harmonious proportions, the church also evinces harmonious Gothic borrowings. The abode boasts the biggest monastery library (18.000 volumes, including highly valuable manuscripts) and a museum with a priceless collection of religious art. In the fortified compound are a medieval art museum and a memorial house to novelist Mihail Sadoveanu (1880-1961). Neamt Monastery is a very important spiritual centre.

2) The Agapia Monastery - Erected between 1642 and 1644. While not in a specific style, the church is valuable by its painting, the work of Nicolae Grigorescu. Entrance fees to monasteries and Grigorescu between 1858 and 1861. The church boasts a collection of art and religious items. Agapia comprises two monasteries: the upper '"monastery on the hill" was founded by Lady Elena, the wife of Petru Rares in 1527. The more spectacular "monastery in the valley" was build by Gavril Coci (brother of Vasile Lupu)

Agapia Monastery

Agapia On The Hill

3) The Varatec Monastery. The daughter of a priest from Iasi founded it in 1785 under the supervision of the famous scholar monk Paisie Viliciocovski, abbot of Neamt Monastery. The church, built in stone and brick, with two rounds, svelte turrets blends traditional Moldavian and neo-classic elements. The entries on the southern and northern sides are guarded by two small porches with bulbous roof and heavy profile, contrasting to the sleder line of the edifice. The monastery has a rich museum collection.

4) The Secu Monastery Justice Chief Nestor Ureche erected it in 1602. The church was enlarged in the 18th century by the addition of a spacious building with a spire. In the tomb chamber are the tombs of the founder and his wife Mitrofana. In the pronave there is an epitaphion and valuable embroidery. The monastery was strengthened with massive walls and defense towers. In every tower there is a small chapel. The fortifications helped to protect the church but they also attracted trouble.

5) The Humor Monastery It was founded in the early 15-th. At five kilometers distance off the little town Gura Humorului, in the picturesque village Humor, surrounded by old trees and dewy fields, Humor Monastery is set on a hills top in one of the most fascinating of the Suceava count. The Church of the Humor Monastery is a famous foundation of the Middle Ages. Set in 4

the exterior facade above the entrance, a votive inscription carved in stone teaches us the church was founded in 1530 by a Moldavian boyar named Toader Bubuiog and his wife Anastasia, under the reign of Petru Rares. It was painted both on the outside and the inside in the 1535. The interior and the exterior walls have been adorned with traditional Orthodox fresco-paintings in Byzantine style. The exterior walls covered by a delicate painting make those five churches unique throughout the Orthodox world. The exterior fresco-paintings of the Humor Monastery's Church were painted in 1535 by Toma Zugravul.

6) Fortress of Neamt - Among the most representative historical monuments from Romania we find the fortress of Neamt, an objective situated in the city of Tg. Neamt in the subcarpathian zone of Moldavia. The fortress of Neamt was build in the period of consolidation of the Romanian medieval state on the east side of Carpathians.( 1375-1391).

7) Btca Doamnei Fortress (Petrodava) - Piatra Neam It was founded in 1st century b.C., but there are traces of an much older civilisation.

8) Palace of the Cneji - Ceahlu commune: It was built in three stages: the hetman (minister of war) Gheorghe, Vasile Lupu brother found a stone church in 1639 and other buildings made of wood and bricks on the spot of an old hermitage; the voivode Antonie Ruset, his son-in-law, built in 1672 a stone wall and the great tresurer Toderacu Cantacuzino built 4 round towers and buildings for living. In the 19th century this small fortress was renovated several times and in 1850 was bought by Sturza family. The church was renovated in 1958.

9) Mountain Corps Monument - mausoleum -Trgu Neamt - It is placed on the Pleului Hill, at 491 m altitude in order to be well seen. It was made by the architect Theodor Burc in the memory of the heroes of First World War. It was inaugurated in 1939 by the King Carol II.

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The Medieval Complex - Piatra Neam - It was founded in 1498-1499 by the voivode tefan cel Mare (Stephan the Great) and it is composed of: The Princely Church St. John the Baptist built of stone in a Moldavian style, the 19 m high tower and parts of the Princely Court (walls and the cellar arranged as a museum, placed near the Petru Rare - High School).

11) European bison reservation -Vanatori-Neamt unique in Europe. The goal of setting up this park is twofold: restoring the appropriate habitat of European bison, a species that disappeared from Romania a long time ago, and put into value the existing resources for tourism, the area being very rich in historical objectives. Location: This park is placed in north of Neamt County on the boundary with Suceava County, nearby some localities: Cracaoani, Agapia, VnatoriNeamt, Trgu-Neamt town and two resorts - Baltatesti and Oglinzi. From the geographical point of view, the park stretches over the eastern slope on Stanisoarei Mountains and Neamt SubCarpathian hills. The first animals were brought from Poland. Now trere are 3 bisons, but beside them we can see also red deer, fallow deer, bear, wolf, several species of birds.

12) Romanian Orthodox Episcopal Cathedral Roman- I t was founded in1542-1550 by the voivode Petru Rare on the spot of an old church from the 14th century. It includes the episcopal palace built in 1870, a chapel, the bell tower and buildings for offices and cells. The bell tower was built in two stages, in the 18th and 19th centuries. It has 5 levels and very old bells, three of them were donated by tefan cel Mare. There is also one of the greatest libraries of documents (20000 volumes). Over time this establishment was an important center for the Romanian culture and education.

13) The Voronet Monastery. The abode was built under Ruler Stephen the Great, in 1488, more exactly in the months and 3 weeks. Being dedicated to Saint George, the church is famous for its outer and inner frescoes created between 1534 and 1535, during the reign of Petru Rares. The paintings, on a light blue background (the celebrated Voronet Blue unique in the world ) are monumental, clear and rigorously composed. Disbanded on 1986, the monastery was reestablished after 1989 and now is a UNESCO world heritage monument. Romanian cuisine dishes can be served at Voronet.
VORONET CHURCH

14) The Sucevita Monastery - built four centuries ago, by princely order, as a small fortress where the barbarians couldn't enter. Sucevita Monastery, with its walls and towers, with the church and big number of paintings who cover the exterior walls, is one of the masterpieces in Bucovina and of the medieval art in Moldavia. The legend says that, to motivate the absence of the paintings from one of the walls, one of the painters died in that place, under the slabs who cracked and breakdown. Sucevita Monastery is representative for its groupe of paintings who represent by the specialist Paul Henry, the legacy of classic artist. Monument of the second half of XVI th century, the monastery's church represent the last phase of the architectural development in the Medieval age and that of the traditional style in Moldavia. In the complexity of its opponents, the church, built between 1582-1584 by the order of Gheorghe and Ieremia Movila (first mithropolit), is one of the most visited touristy objective in north of Moldavia. It keeps fresh the original glory of the architectural forms in that age. Situated in the mountains, Sucevita has in its neighborhoods valuable churches and monasteries: Putna, Moldovita, Humor and Dragomirna. 8

MONASTERY SUCEVITA

15) The Black Ceramic museum from Marginea Village a veritable traditional art hundred of years old. Within the Marginea Complex one can find the ethnographic museum, placed in an one hundred years old house, where travelers can halt. Once you enter the house, you can admire the traditional costumes from Bucovina, especially the ones in Radauti, traditional costumes used by the villagers at the most important events. The tourists have the possibility to purchase these great treasures of Bucovina. Also, you can encounter in the museum ceramics, wefts, knitting, birch baskets, bead necklaces, painted eggs, beaded eggs. The architecture specific to the area is completed by the linen carpets, manually made by the women in the village. The ethnographic area of Radauti is characterized by an artistic evolution never before seen within the traditional art. Outstanding are the special rugs (scoartele, laicerele and grindarasele) containing geometrical shapes and nature-inspired colors. The traditional costumes represent all kinds of traditional clothes worn by the villagers. Radauti area is also famous for the craft of fleecer represented by few types of fur clothes with rich ornamentation and lively colors and natural element.tttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt

16) The Putna Monastery Foundation and necropolis of Ruler Stephan the Great , a center of arts and letters , Putna was erected between 1466 and 1469 as a fortified monastery, and then retouched in 1472, following a fire. The monasterys museum boasts a rich collection of old religious embroideries, illuminated manuscripts, and objects of cult. Between 1654 and 1662, Rulers Vasile Lupu and Gheorghe Stefan erected the Dormition of the Virgin Church, so impressive in size, a design similar to the older one. The church of the Putna Monastery is built on a trefoil design of prolonged sizes, 37 m long and 15 m wide at the lateral apses, and 33 m high. Above shelters are the tombs of Stephen the Great and his descendents down to Petru Rares.

17) The Moldovita Monastery Built by Petru Rares in 1532. It is the biggest church raised during the Moldavian style flourishing period. The church is painted on the inside and the outside in 1537. The ornaments combine late Gothic and Renaissance elements. The abode is a UNESCO world heritage.

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18) THE PALACE OF CULTURE - Modern Iasi is Romania's third-largest city and its streets hustle with student life, restaurants, bars and hot night spots. The palace of Culture was built between 1906 -1925 in neo - Gothic style, on the ruins of the old and priceless court. It was founded by Prince Alexandru (1400-1432).

19) Metropolitan Cathedral -Iasi was built between 1833-1839, with interior painted by Gheorghe Tatarescu. In mid-October thousands of pilgrims flock here to celebrate the day of St. Paraschiva, the patron saint of the cathedral and of Moldavia.

20) Rasca Monastery - Bogdan I founded a wooden church here in the 14th century and Stephen the Great's son Bogdan the One-Eyed ordered a new monastery here after Tartars destroyed the existing one in 1510. The existing church and fortified walls were commissioned by Petru Rares during his second reign. In 1540 he asked Bishop Macarie of Roman to reconstruct the church of Rasca and in 1542 the new church was completed.

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Glossary
Nave naos : 1) 2) Nos Pronave pronaos; Abode resedint; Bulbous - bulbos;care are aspect de bulb; asemntor cu un bulb; Porches verand; Faade faad; Votive consacrat;dedicate; Boast - laudarosenie, a se lauda; Acme apogeu, culme; Evince- dovad, a arta; Disbanded desfiinat; Voivode voievod; Trefoil- trifoi -de forma unui trifoi Fallow deer cprior; Retouch - a retusa , a indrepta Trace urma, indiciu; Monk calugar; Weft testur; Bead margea;pictur; Birch mesteacn; Fleece- is a general term for a soft fabric (often with a deep pile), and may refer to: A fleece, the woollen coat of a domestic sheep or long-haired goat; Apses apside- ncpere semicircular n bisericile crestine, destinat altarului. partea central a unei biserici ortodoxe (ntre altar si pronaos) ncpere a unui templu antic, unde se afl statuia divinittii. <ngr.

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