Dragomirna
Encyclopedia
The Dragomirna Monastery was built during the first three decades of the 17th century, 15 km from Suceava
, in Mitocu Dragomirnei
commune. It is the tallest medieval monastery in Bucovina and renowned in Orthodox architecture for its unique proportions and intricate details, mostly carved into stone. It lies among forested hills of fir and oak. The history of the monastery started in 1602, when the small church in the graveyard was built and dedicated to Saints Enoch
, Elijah
and John the Theologian
. In 1609 the dedication of the larger church was made to the "Descent of the Holy Spirit
".
Anastasie Crimca
; the high chancellor Lupu Stroici; and his brother the treasurer Simion Stroici. Born in Suceava as the son of merchant Ioan Crimca and of the princess Carstina, Anastasie Crimca became a monk at the Putna
monastery when he was young. There Crimca built his reputation as a prelate, patriot, and scholar and, above all, as an artist, which was expressed through his whole life. He asccended to the highest ranks in the Orthodox Church
and became, in 1608, the Metropolitan of Moldavia. During the summer of 1600, he took the oath of faith to Michael the Brave (also known as 'Mihai Viteazu), who entered the princely seat of Moldavia without fighting and succeeded in joining together the three Romania
n lands for the first time.
According to the inscription above the bell tower, in 1627 during the rule of Miron Barnovschi, because of the frequent invasions by the Turks
and Tatars
, the monastery was endowed by the prince with a defensive wall, which made it look like a fortress. In the four corners there are narrow square towers. On the western and northern sides are the cells, built between 1843 and 1846. They were part of the general reconstruction. Inside the precincts, on the right side of the entrance is the vaulted refectory, built in the Gothic
style. It now holds the Dragomirna museum of ancient art. The large church's plan is a much-elongated rectangle, without side apse
s. It seems to be built up to defy the heights, to seek the light; it symbolized prayer soaring from the bottom of one's heart towards the holy sky.
. "It's tall and narrows like a fine casket with holy relics; an architectural jewel which adorns the ancient woods of Bucovina". The church is built mostly of raw, unpolished stone, except for the pillars, which end with buttresses made of polished stone. At the windows, Gothic-style
frets have intersected bars. Under the cornice
, there are two bands of frieze
d arcatures. The church is encircled with a stone belt of three alternately woven bands. This belt, a symbol of the Holy Trinity
, also contains an allegorical message from the bishop, who lived to see the union of the Romanian-speaking peoples accomplished by Michael the Brave: he urged the coming generations to guide national and faith unity through the Holy Church.
The tower of the church, very tall and slender, decorated throughout, emphasizes the vertical. The total height up to the Cross is 42 meters. The sculptures decorating the tower represent a repertoire of ornamental motifs, geometrical and vegetal - uncommon for the epoch of Michael the Brave and Petru Rareş
. The interior consists of the portico
, the bema
, the nave
and the altar
. The portico is elevated above the churchyard; from the portico to the altar, seven steps enhance the feeling of ascent and differentiate among the chambers of the church. A lace of ribs covers the vaults, a western Gothic style, here used in artistic interpretation by the Metropolitan himself. The motif of the braided rope is found on almost every surface of the vault, arches and intersections with walls. Dragomirna has no funerary chamber; there are five tombs in the portico and one in the bema. The latter may be that of the chief founder, metropolitan Anastasie Crimca.
The church at Dragomirna is decorated with splendid frescoes, but they are to be found only in the altar and the nave. No one knows whether the bema and the portico were also formerly painted. The paintings represent yet another innovative element, both in themes and in painting techniques, related most closely to iconographic
and miniature art. The Dragomirna museum contains precious elements of Romanian medieval civilization: embroideries; bookbindings fitted with gilded silver, most of them made by Grigore Moisiu; crosses carved in cedar and ebony; the candle lit at the dedication of the Big Church; the Homiliary of Metropolitan
Varlaam; gold- and silver-embroidered garments; and other ecclesiastical objects and sacerdotal attire.
At Dragomirna, the metropolitan Anastasie Crimca started a school for miniaturists and calligraphers, which became "a last blossoming and glittering of the Romania
n art of miniature". Five manuscripts of the school of Dragomirna are kept in the museum of the monastery: two copies of the Four Gospels, two missal
s and a psalter
, copied and illustrated by Anastasie Crimca and his disciples. They demonstrate the originality and talent of the Moldavian miniaturists. As a centre of Christian and ancient culture in the Romanian past, the Dragomirna monastery holds artistic treasure that is evidence of the people's love for beauty and also of their skillfulness in achieving it.
The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit is unique in all of Romania for its unusual proportions. It is by far the tallest and narrowest church ever built. Its walls are not painted, but decorated with stone carvings. In 1609 Bishop Crimca had built the church with the aid of Great Chancellor Luca Stroici. The relation between the width, length and height of the church is most unusual. The church is nine metres wide, which is an average width, but the height of more than 40 metres up to the top of the lantern tower, makes it seem extremely narrow. The church gives the impression of being a ship, the ancient symbol of the Christian Church. The façades are built of rough yellow sandstone.
Suceava
Suceava is the Suceava County seat in Bukovina, Moldavia region, in north-eastern Romania. The city was the capital of the Principality of Moldavia from 1388 to 1565.-History:...
, in Mitocu Dragomirnei
Mitocu Dragomirnei
Mitocu Dragomirnei is a commune located in Suceava County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Dragomirna, Lipoveni, Mitocași and Mitocu Dragomirnei....
commune. It is the tallest medieval monastery in Bucovina and renowned in Orthodox architecture for its unique proportions and intricate details, mostly carved into stone. It lies among forested hills of fir and oak. The history of the monastery started in 1602, when the small church in the graveyard was built and dedicated to Saints Enoch
Enoch (ancestor of Noah)
Enoch is a figure in the Generations of Adam. Enoch is described as Adam's greatx4 grandson , the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and the great-grandfather of Noah...
, Elijah
Elijah (prophet)
Elijah also Elias ; , meaning "Yahweh is my God";Arabic:إلياس, Ilyās), was a prophet in the Kingdom of Samaria during the reign of Ahab , according to the Books of Kings....
and John the Theologian
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
. In 1609 the dedication of the larger church was made to the "Descent of the Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit
Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of the Hebrew Bible, but understood differently in the main Abrahamic religions.While the general concept of a "Spirit" that permeates the cosmos has been used in various religions Holy Spirit is a term introduced in English translations of...
".
History
Unlike other monasteries, there is no votive inscription at Dragomirna. The year in which it was built and the names of the founders were discovered only after study of the documents of the time. The founders were the same as for the small church in the graveyard, the scholar, artist and MetropolitanMetropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
Anastasie Crimca
Anastasie Crimca
Anastasie Crimca was a Moldavian Eastern orthodox clergyman, as well as a calligrapher, illuminator, and writer.Born in Suceava, he was the Metropolitan of Moldavia and the founder of Dragomirna Monastery , where he initiated a scriptorium remarkable for the stylistic unity of the work produced...
; the high chancellor Lupu Stroici; and his brother the treasurer Simion Stroici. Born in Suceava as the son of merchant Ioan Crimca and of the princess Carstina, Anastasie Crimca became a monk at the Putna
Putna
Putna can refer to several entities in Romania:* Putna, Suceava, a commune in Suceava County* Putna, a village in Prigor Commune, Caraş-Severin County* Putna, a village in Boloteşti Commune, Vrancea County* the Putna Monastery...
monastery when he was young. There Crimca built his reputation as a prelate, patriot, and scholar and, above all, as an artist, which was expressed through his whole life. He asccended to the highest ranks in the Orthodox Church
Eastern Orthodox Church
The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...
and became, in 1608, the Metropolitan of Moldavia. During the summer of 1600, he took the oath of faith to Michael the Brave (also known as 'Mihai Viteazu), who entered the princely seat of Moldavia without fighting and succeeded in joining together the three Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n lands for the first time.
According to the inscription above the bell tower, in 1627 during the rule of Miron Barnovschi, because of the frequent invasions by the Turks
Turkic peoples
The Turkic peoples are peoples residing in northern, central and western Asia, southern Siberia and northwestern China and parts of eastern Europe. They speak languages belonging to the Turkic language family. They share, to varying degrees, certain cultural traits and historical backgrounds...
and Tatars
Tatars
Tatars are a Turkic speaking ethnic group , numbering roughly 7 million.The majority of Tatars live in the Russian Federation, with a population of around 5.5 million, about 2 million of which in the republic of Tatarstan.Significant minority populations are found in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan,...
, the monastery was endowed by the prince with a defensive wall, which made it look like a fortress. In the four corners there are narrow square towers. On the western and northern sides are the cells, built between 1843 and 1846. They were part of the general reconstruction. Inside the precincts, on the right side of the entrance is the vaulted refectory, built in the Gothic
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
style. It now holds the Dragomirna museum of ancient art. The large church's plan is a much-elongated rectangle, without side apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
s. It seems to be built up to defy the heights, to seek the light; it symbolized prayer soaring from the bottom of one's heart towards the holy sky.
Architectural details
"Seeing it is a joyful surprise" wrote the great historian Nicolae IorgaNicolae Iorga
Nicolae Iorga was a Romanian historian, politician, literary critic, memoirist, poet and playwright. Co-founder of the Democratic Nationalist Party , he served as a member of Parliament, President of the Deputies' Assembly and Senate, cabinet minister and briefly as Prime Minister...
. "It's tall and narrows like a fine casket with holy relics; an architectural jewel which adorns the ancient woods of Bucovina". The church is built mostly of raw, unpolished stone, except for the pillars, which end with buttresses made of polished stone. At the windows, Gothic-style
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
frets have intersected bars. Under the cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
, there are two bands of frieze
Frieze
thumb|267px|Frieze of the [[Tower of the Winds]], AthensIn architecture the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Even when neither columns nor pilasters are expressed, on an astylar wall it lies upon...
d arcatures. The church is encircled with a stone belt of three alternately woven bands. This belt, a symbol of the Holy Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
, also contains an allegorical message from the bishop, who lived to see the union of the Romanian-speaking peoples accomplished by Michael the Brave: he urged the coming generations to guide national and faith unity through the Holy Church.
The tower of the church, very tall and slender, decorated throughout, emphasizes the vertical. The total height up to the Cross is 42 meters. The sculptures decorating the tower represent a repertoire of ornamental motifs, geometrical and vegetal - uncommon for the epoch of Michael the Brave and Petru Rareş
Petru Rares
Peter IV Rareș was twice voievod of Moldavia: 20 January 1527 to 18 September 1538 and 19 February 1541 to 3 September 1546. He was an illegitimate child born to Ștefan cel Mare...
. The interior consists of the portico
Portico
A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
, the bema
Bema
The Bema means a raised platform...
, the nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
and the altar
Altar
An altar is any structure upon which offerings such as sacrifices are made for religious purposes. Altars are usually found at shrines, and they can be located in temples, churches and other places of worship...
. The portico is elevated above the churchyard; from the portico to the altar, seven steps enhance the feeling of ascent and differentiate among the chambers of the church. A lace of ribs covers the vaults, a western Gothic style, here used in artistic interpretation by the Metropolitan himself. The motif of the braided rope is found on almost every surface of the vault, arches and intersections with walls. Dragomirna has no funerary chamber; there are five tombs in the portico and one in the bema. The latter may be that of the chief founder, metropolitan Anastasie Crimca.
The church at Dragomirna is decorated with splendid frescoes, but they are to be found only in the altar and the nave. No one knows whether the bema and the portico were also formerly painted. The paintings represent yet another innovative element, both in themes and in painting techniques, related most closely to iconographic
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
and miniature art. The Dragomirna museum contains precious elements of Romanian medieval civilization: embroideries; bookbindings fitted with gilded silver, most of them made by Grigore Moisiu; crosses carved in cedar and ebony; the candle lit at the dedication of the Big Church; the Homiliary of Metropolitan
Metropolitan bishop
In Christian churches with episcopal polity, the rank of metropolitan bishop, or simply metropolitan, pertains to the diocesan bishop or archbishop of a metropolis; that is, the chief city of a historical Roman province, ecclesiastical province, or regional capital.Before the establishment of...
Varlaam; gold- and silver-embroidered garments; and other ecclesiastical objects and sacerdotal attire.
At Dragomirna, the metropolitan Anastasie Crimca started a school for miniaturists and calligraphers, which became "a last blossoming and glittering of the Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
n art of miniature". Five manuscripts of the school of Dragomirna are kept in the museum of the monastery: two copies of the Four Gospels, two missal
Missal
A missal is a liturgical book containing all instructions and texts necessary for the celebration of Mass throughout the year.-History:Before the compilation of such books, several books were used when celebrating Mass...
s and a psalter
Psalter
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were...
, copied and illustrated by Anastasie Crimca and his disciples. They demonstrate the originality and talent of the Moldavian miniaturists. As a centre of Christian and ancient culture in the Romanian past, the Dragomirna monastery holds artistic treasure that is evidence of the people's love for beauty and also of their skillfulness in achieving it.
The Church of the Descent of the Holy Spirit is unique in all of Romania for its unusual proportions. It is by far the tallest and narrowest church ever built. Its walls are not painted, but decorated with stone carvings. In 1609 Bishop Crimca had built the church with the aid of Great Chancellor Luca Stroici. The relation between the width, length and height of the church is most unusual. The church is nine metres wide, which is an average width, but the height of more than 40 metres up to the top of the lantern tower, makes it seem extremely narrow. The church gives the impression of being a ship, the ancient symbol of the Christian Church. The façades are built of rough yellow sandstone.