Moldovita
Encyclopedia
The Moldovița Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox monastery situated in the commune of Vatra Moldoviței
, Suceava County
, Moldavia, Romania
. The Monastery of Moldovița was built in 1532 by Petru Rareș
, who was Stefan the Great's (in Romanian Ștefan cel Mare) illegitimate son. It was founded as a protective barrier against the Muslim Ottoman conquerors from the East.
, winning 34 of them. He was very religious and built churches after many victories. Stephen's illegitimate son, Petru Rareş, who ruled Moldavia
from 1527 to 1538 and again from 1541 to 1546, promoted a new vision for Bukovina
churches. He commissioned artists to cover the interiors and exteriors with elaborate frescoes (portraits of saints and prophets, scenes from the life of Jesus).
The best preserved are the monasteries in the towns of Suceviţa, Moldovița, Voroneț, Humor, Suceava, Pătrăuți, and Probota. Seven of them--including the Monastery of Moldovița--were placed on UNESCO
World Heritage list in 1993.
Moldovița's frescoes were painted by Toma of Suceava in 1537. They are filled with yellow accents and are well preserved. The predominantly yellow-and-blue paintings on its exterior represent recurring themes in Christian Orthodox
art: a procession of saints leads up to the Virgin enthroned with the Child in her lap, above the narrow east window; the "Tree of Jesse
" springs from a recumbent Jesse at the foot of the wall to marshal the ancestry of Christ around the Holy Family; The "Siege of Constantinople" commemorates the intervention of the Virgin in saving the city of Constantinople from Persian attack in A.D. 626.
Tall arches open the porch to the outside and daylight. Within it, "The Last Judgment" covers the entire surface of the west wall with its river of fire and its depiction of the sea giving up its dead to judgment. Moldovița and Humor are the last churches built with an open porch, a hidden place above the burial-vault, and with Gothic
-style windows and doors.
Vatra Moldovitei
Vatra Moldoviței is a commune located in Suceava County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Ciumârna, Paltinu and Vatra Moldoviței. The latter village is the site of Moldoviţa Monastery....
, Suceava County
Suceava County
Suceava is a county of Romania, in the historical region of Moldavia and few villages in Transylvania, with the capital city at Suceava.- Demographics :...
, Moldavia, 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...
. The Monastery of Moldovița was built in 1532 by Petru Rareș
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...
, who was Stefan the Great's (in Romanian Ștefan cel Mare) illegitimate son. It was founded as a protective barrier against the Muslim Ottoman conquerors from the East.
History
Stephen the Great, the King (in Romanian Domnitor) of Romania from 1457 until his death in 1504, fought 36 battles against the Ottoman EmpireOttoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
, winning 34 of them. He was very religious and built churches after many victories. Stephen's illegitimate son, Petru Rareş, who ruled Moldavia
Moldavia
Moldavia is a geographic and historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester river...
from 1527 to 1538 and again from 1541 to 1546, promoted a new vision for Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
churches. He commissioned artists to cover the interiors and exteriors with elaborate frescoes (portraits of saints and prophets, scenes from the life of Jesus).
The best preserved are the monasteries in the towns of Suceviţa, Moldovița, Voroneț, Humor, Suceava, Pătrăuți, and Probota. Seven of them--including the Monastery of Moldovița--were placed on UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage list in 1993.
Frescoes
This monastery, built by Voivode Petru Rareş, is one of the five monasteries in Northern Moldavia with frescoes painted on the outer walls. Sister Maika, who has been living in the monastery for more than 50 years, says that it is "the holy scriptures in color".Moldovița's frescoes were painted by Toma of Suceava in 1537. They are filled with yellow accents and are well preserved. The predominantly yellow-and-blue paintings on its exterior represent recurring themes in Christian Orthodox
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,...
art: a procession of saints leads up to the Virgin enthroned with the Child in her lap, above the narrow east window; the "Tree of Jesse
Tree of Jesse
The Tree of Jesse is a depiction in art of the Ancestors of Christ, shown in a tree which rises from Jesse of Bethlehem, the father of King David; the original use of the family tree as a schematic representation of a genealogy...
" springs from a recumbent Jesse at the foot of the wall to marshal the ancestry of Christ around the Holy Family; The "Siege of Constantinople" commemorates the intervention of the Virgin in saving the city of Constantinople from Persian attack in A.D. 626.
Tall arches open the porch to the outside and daylight. Within it, "The Last Judgment" covers the entire surface of the west wall with its river of fire and its depiction of the sea giving up its dead to judgment. Moldovița and Humor are the last churches built with an open porch, a hidden place above the burial-vault, and with Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
-style windows and doors.
Trivia
The monastery of Moldovița was depicted on a Romanian postage stamp in 1968.External links
- Photos from Romania : Moldovita Monastery
- http://www.users.cloud9.net/~romania/Churches/moldovita_pictures.htm
- Church of Romania on Orthodoxwiki
- http://www.ici.ro/romania/en/turism/m_moldovita.html
- http://www.manastiri-bucovina.go.ro/moldovita-eng.htm
- http://www.flyingmonk.com/Countries/Bucovina/index.html
- http://www.romanianmonasteries.org/images/moldovita/moldovita.html
- Moldoviţa Monastery