Northern Moldavia is a land filled with legends and history, a muse for numerous writers who have made its places known worldwide. Described in a very original way by writer Ion Creanga, who painted memorable portraits of genuine Moldavians, the region prides itself with amazing, unique landscapes. But it also became famous because of its numerous churches, unique in Europe because of their special religious paintings. The spiritual richness of these places has passed the test of time, as the people here discovered the importance of a connection with divinity.

Historical testimonies for the 15th-16th centuries, the churches in northern Moldavia remind us of the times of Stephen the Great and his descendant, Petru Rares. In their times, the monasteries represented a shelter for the locals, many of them having real fortifications just like fortresses. The rulers of those days would often come asking for advice from the wise monks, those who represented the moral authority. It is said that after each victory, Stephen the ruler, a defender of Christianity, built a new church or monastery, thus becoming the founder of over 40 churches and monasteries. Among them, eight were included in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Arbore, Humor, Moldovita, Patrauti, Probota, Suceava, Sucevita, Voronet.

The monasteries and churches in this area combine Gothic, Byzantine and regional elements, creating a specific Moldavian style. The frescoes commissioned by Petru Rares, initially spread on the interior walls and then extended to the outside, impress with their emphasis on details and the diverse range of colors. The uniqueness and artistic value is given by the integration of the famous colors into the rural landscape: the Voronet blue, the Humor red, the green of Sucevita and the Moldovita yellow. The murals of the 16th century Moldavia depict historical and biblical scenes of heaven and earth.

Monasteries also had an important cultural role. This is where ancient manuscripts, chronicles or paintings were kept. Also, they were important centers of literacy where the illiterate learned to read and write or where they were initiated in classic languages ​​like Slavonic, Latin or ancient Greek. 

The churches in northern Moldavia continue their purpose today, welcoming believers or art lovers who have come to convince themselves of the monasteries’ beauty.  The Garden of Eden is different in the imagination of each person. For the people of Bukovina, the Garden of Heaven is surrounded by green forests and meadows and villages with hospitable people, where old rites and crafts are kept. Step back for a while from the bustle of everyday life to find the peace and tranquility provided by these impressive churches.

Moldovita

Twenty-five kilometers from Campulung Moldovenesc, hidden among the green ridges of the mountains, you will find the Moldovita Monastery. On this land, hermits once built a small wooden church and around it they raised cells and thus a church community was born.  Once the monastery grew, the wood church was replaced with a stone one; its ruins can still be seen today. At the beginning of the 16th century, they built the current monastery in its vicinity, which is one of the richest in Moldavia. 

From underneath the high stone tower, guarded by thick heavy walls, you can see the church’s silhouette. The arch is embellished with floral motifs and it leads you towards the inner court of the monastery, filled with colored flowers that cover the modest but elegant cells of the nuns. You can visit the monastery museum, the old treasury and the miniature scribe school which houses old manuscripts and embroideries from the 15th century, the throne of Petru Rares and a collection of old icons.

As a real gem of the medieval Moldavian art, Moldovita has very well preserved its paintings. Keeping the light of the original colors, the frescoes combine byzantine influences with traditional motifs, depicting biblical and historical scenes on a mainly yellow background which is in complete harmony with the blue of the sky and the green of the grass. Among the multiple figurative elements and decorations of the icons, you can spot the characteristics of the locals, captured by painters in the portrayal of saints. A remarkable scene is the siege of Constantinople which shows the orthodox patriarch asking for Virgin Mary’s help to defeat the Persians and the Avars. Placed against a 16th century décor, the episode reminds us of Moldavia’s situation threatened by the Turks. The entire collection of interior and exterior paintings is based on religious truths that believers can admire here, at Moldovita.

You can get to the monastery by the well known Mocanita. At the end of a ride revealing rural landscapes, moments of peace and tranquility await you, accompanied by stories that Moldovita shares with whoever crosses its threshold.  A monastery and a fortress at the same time it amazes through its harmony, architecture and the work put in by nuns to make your stay more pleasant.

 

 

Putna

A special monastery on the Moldavian territory is Putna, the first and the most important monastery founded by Stephen the Great. For over 500 years it has attracted believers through its history and the legends surrounding it. Located between Obcinele Bucovinei, in a very picturesque place, surrounded by forests, hills and wild landscapes, the monastery still bears the marks of its founder, the church being his place of eternal rest as well as a burial place for a few other members of his family. 

The chronicles of the times speak about the choosing of the place where the church was to be erected. Stephen the Great wanted to build a necropolis that was also supposed to act as a fortification for the area. He shot a bow randomly from the Cross’ Hill, and the foundation of the church was laid where the arrow hit the ground. Three years later, in 1469, the church was fully raised and it was to become the cultural heart of Moldova. Putna impresses with its grand ore, but also with the peace it brings into one’s soul. Inside the thick heavy defense walls guarded by the two towers, in time Putna assembled a calligraphy and an embroidering shop, as well as a famous psaltic music school, thus becoming an important center of art and medieval culture in south-eastern Europe in the 15th and 16th centuries.  

Rebuilt several times after earthquakes, fires and foreign invasions, the monastery is an architectural ensemble, combining specific Moldavian elements with Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance influences. On the inside, the church is decorated with colorful paintings on a background of gold leaf, depicting faces of saints and biblical scenes. Among them the portrait of Stephen the Great stands out as well as that of Daniil the hermit, to whom the prince would often turn for advice. The mural composition executed in neo-Byzantine style, with great chromatic variations, makes Putna one of the most successful works of convent art.

At the Putna ensemble, you will find the cell of Daniil the hermit, a relic of the first settlements in Bukovina, which welcomes you with its austere, yet soothing aspect. You can also visit the monastery’s museum, one of the richest and most valuable in the country. A part of the halidom’s artistic and historical treasures are preserved here: rare manuscripts written by skilled calligraphers, embroideries, expensive carpets, miniatures painted by the leading artists of the day, baroque ornaments, religious books and silverware. Putna is not only a place of introspection and prayer, but also an important culture and history lesson, a legacy for many generations.

 

 

Sucevita

On a road of overwhelming beauty that winds over rich wooded valleys and ridges, interrupted only by pastures on top of which you can see golden hay stacks, you will arrive at the Sucevita Monastery. After a series of serpentines flanked by secular fir trees, among the hills, you will find a simple church becoming one with the nature. Inside a stone wall meant to defend it against its enemies and guarded by five reinforced towers, the monastery is the founding of the Movila brothers, a family of nobles and rulers. Local legends say that in the beginning, there was a wooden church on this spot; later, to redeem her sins, a woman carried the stone required for the current construction with her oxen pulled carriage for a period of 30 years. The monastery is considered to be the last church in Moldova with painted church facades, showing characteristics of the reigns of Stephen the Great and Petru Rares.

At Sucevita, the tradition and the innovation are combined in an original way in the exterior paintings dominated by the emerald green. Stories of the Old and New Testament are depicted in the frescos, as well as the very rare “Ladder of Virtues”. More precisely, in this painting monks are depicted trying to climb a staircase of 32 steps; above, Christ prays for them with open arms and a group of angels support their efforts. Bellow, the weak monks are drawn off the ladder and they writhe in agony. Overall, the frescoes at Sucevita are more austere, lacking in historical scenes, like those at Moldovita or VoroneÅ£, but the scenery, in which the green of the church merges with the blue of the sky is sublime.

On the way to other monasteries, make a stop at Marginea, a commune known for the preservation and perpetuation of traditional pottery. Although fewer and fewer, potters in Marginea continue to spin the wheel and burn clay pots in the oven. The Marginea group produces black pottery just like in the old times: the craftsman brings clay from the outskirts of the village, softens it with water and places it on the wheel, where the clay takes shape, and then he leaves the pots to dry. He smolders, polishes and decorates them, giving them an inestimable esthetic value. The entire process can be observed at the pottery shop in Marginea, near which there is a small ethnographic museum, in an old peasant house, where popular clothing from the Radauti area is displayed, as well as other traditional fabrics, wool carpets, willow baskets, beads necklaces, painted eggs, all hand made by the skilled villagers.

 

Arbore

You can easily reach the Arbore Church, given that it is situated exactly at the heart of the village by the same name. Surrounded by a wooden fence and with a simple yard, the church doesn’t seem to have the same pomposity like the ones built by Stephen the Great. Because it was founded by boyars, it was built out of brick and it doesn’t have towers, but it impresses with its style. The low arcades and the Moldavian arches provide well balanced proportions and inside, one of the most valuable gothic style funerary symbols in Moldavia can be found: the tomb shrine of Luca Arbore the ruler, founder of the church.

The frescoes inside stand out with the portraits depicting Luca Arbore’s family members. The icons have golden auras, a sign of feudal wealth, even in that period of constant conflicts with the Ottoman Porte. On the exterior paintings you can observe the blue pigment, deeply appreciated at Voronet, giving the images continuity towards the sky. Located in a rural décor which opens towards a broad valley where locals often work the land, the Arbore Church is the ideal place for introspection and getting in touch the divinity. 

Humor

Five kilometers west of Campulung Moldovenesc, at the end of a road filled with wonderful Moldavian houses, the Humor Monastery awaits, a priceless religious pearl. Raised on top of a hill, near the river by the same name and surrounded by meadows and hills, it is one of the most famous monasteries of the Moldavian Middle Ages.

The building resembles a miniature citadel and it even has a surveillance tower built by Vasile Lupu, who surrounded the church with massive stone walls.  Among the exterior paintings dominated by the color red, “Iesea’s Tree” (“Arborele lui Iesea”) stands out, tracing the genealogy of Jesus all the way to the origins. Icons of different sizes framed in golden or wooden sculptures are a proof of the painters' skill that made Humor an example of the oldest outdoor frescoes in Moldova. A work of art and a place of worship, Humor opens its gates to whoever wishes to find the emotion of entering a holy place, far away from the turmoil of the city.

Voronet

One of the most famous churches in Romania, most known for its frescoes painted in a unique blue color, Voronet is situated at only 4 km from Gura Humorului. From a distance, the monastery resembles a fortress defended by stone walls, towers and a heavy wooden gate. In the old days, the villagers took shelter here from the wrath of the invaders. The legend says that during rough times with the Turks, Stephen the Great asked Daniil the hermit for advice. After winning the battle, Stephen the Great erected this church as a sign of appreciation.

Built in 1488, the Voronet Church has kept its initial architecture unaltered. The rounded steeple gives it a slender look, as if reaching for the sky and the stone foundation is the sign of longevity, of ancient Romanian roots that have stood the test of time. Combining gothic, byzantine and local elements, the monastery represents the artistic expression of refinement and faith. The exterior frescoes, dominated by the beautiful blue color, are kept safe from the rain because of the roof which was built in the shape of a tent. Among the frescoes, the Judgment Day scene that covers the entire western wall, without being interrupted by doors or windows, gave the Voronet its nickname of ”the Sistine Chapel of the Orient”. The iconographic ensemble depicts the lives of saints in classic images, as well as the faces of some Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle.

Visiting the painted monastery in northern Moldavia, you ask yourself how come the colors have lasted unaltered for all these years. The Voronet blue, scientifically called azure blue, gave specialists quite a headache. Equally important and similar in depth to the Veronese green and Titian red, it can also be found in other Romanian churches, but here, the shade is brighter, more vibrant. The longevity of the colors found here is due to the skill of the artists who painted the frescoes while the walls were still wet, dividing the walls in small bits. In their complexity, the exterior frescoes remain a mystery because of their durability, pleasing the eye of tourists from all over the world.

 

 

Suceava - Patrauti - Probota

In the north of Moldavia, love for beauty, dedication and thoroughness are three qualities observed especially in building and preserving monuments, like churches. At Suceava, a proof of the Moldavian baroque style is the former Moldavian Mitropoly and the current “Sfantul Ioan cel Nou” Monastery. Similar to the ones at Humor and Moldovita, the frescoes here depict scenes from the history of Christianity, like the siege of Constantinople, the parable of the prodigal son, the Tree of Iesei, and faces of saints or ancient philosophers.

At Patrauti, near a forest, in a very quiet area, Stephen the Great founded a church meant for the nursing of soldiers who were wounded in battles from around the citadel of Suceava. Although it was raided since the 16th century, the elegantly proportioned church combining byzantine, gothic and renaissance elements stood heroically throughout time. Extremely expressive, the exterior paintings date back to different periods, but they kept their remarkable artistic value. The locals in Patrauti still practice an old custom if needed- when the weather goes bad, they ring the bells to scatter the hail bearing clouds.

The Probota Monastery, hidden among the Moldavian hills, is a good occasion for introspection, an occasion to appreciate the architecture and the paintings on these religious places. Built on the ruins of an older building, the monastery stands out with its painted arch, reminding of the Sistine Chapel from the Vatican. Enjoying special attention from Petru Rares, the monastery houses his tomb and the ones of other members of the ruling family in Moldavia. In its quiet yard with roses and apple trees, at the shadow of which you can rest, the mighty church of Probota invites you to admire its artistic richness and to discover the spiritual one.

 

 

The group of painted monasteries in Moldova maintains a world unaltered by the exaggerated modernism of today. The love for the holy ways and the faith made the locals maintain the artistic expressivity of these churches and take their history into the future. Simple and welcoming people, the Moldavians are ready at any time to share the legends of the place and to offer you some of their spiritual richness. A bridge between the past and the future, a legacy for entire generations, the painted monasteries which have resisted in the face of the Ottoman expansion are still enveloped in prayers and songs.

[An article written by Andreea Bertea]