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MONASTERIES
Neamt Monastery
Petru Musat founded Neamt Monastery, convent for monks, in the 14th century. Alexander the Good raised the steeple in the 15th century. Stephen the Great built the big church in 1497. The Monastery contains two churches, two chapels, a museum, and a library. Cultural center renowned for its calligraphers, chroniclers and printers (Gavriil Uric – 15th century, Macarie and Eftimie – 17th century) but also for the example of monastic life (Paisie Velicicovschi – 18th century and Saint Ioan Iacob Hozevitul – 20th century). Dedication day: “The Lord’s Ascension”, 40 days after Easter.
Images from the Neamt Monastery
Secu Monastery
The church of the monastic establishment was founded by the high magistrate Nestor Ureche, the father of the renowned chronicler Grigore Ureche. The construction was completed in 1602. Through the tri-apses architectural plan, as well as through the decorative graphically of its facades, the massive construction belongs to the new wave in the architecture of Moldavia which was characteristic of the end of the 16th century. Before the church was constructed, there existed a skete for nuns on the premises, which was mentioned in the historical document that date from the second half of the 16th century; it was called Zosin’s Skete and had a prominent monastic life.
The church was constructed at the end of the 18th century and the diaconikon in the 19th century. The paintings inside the church were completely reconditioned in 1850.
In the cemetery there is a church that dates from 1832. It was constructed in the expense of Metropolitan Veniamin Costachi, right on the location of the former church that had belonged to Zosin’s Skete. In the burial chamber, which is situated in the pronaos of the church, were interred its founders Nestor Ureche and his wife, Mitrofana.
Images from the Secu Monastery
Sihla Monastery
Sihla Monastery (Neamt County) - situated on the height of the Stanisoara Mountains in a meadow guarded on west by impressive stone blocks, hidden places and hard accessible from where the monks had retreated.
Built in the XIII-th century, today this church is integrally rebuilt. On a terrace at the foot of a rock with a huge ceiling , in 1763 a very small church was built by Ionta Cantacuzino. Not far from this small church among big blocks of stone is situated St. Theodora's cave. The access is available on a mountain road cobbled through Agapia village or Sihastria Monastery, recommended road especially for off-road vehicles.
St. Theodora was born on the XVII century on Vinatori-Neamt village. She was married with a pious young man, but, because they had no children, they decided to enter a monastery. St. Theodora took the veil in the Varzaresti-Vrancea hermitage, and her husband entered the Poiana Marului hermitage, receiving the name Eliodor. Because of the Turk forays, St. Theodora retreated in the Buzaului Mountains along with her abbess, Paisia, and after her death she lived in the Sihla hermitage in the Neamt county. Before her death, she was miraculously by several monks from Sihastria Monastery
Images from the Sihla Monastery
Agapia Monastery
The New Agapia Monastery (Agapia-in-the-Valley) - its saints patrons are "The Archangels Mihail & Gavril". This monastery houses nuns. Agapia village, Neamt district, 12 km south-west from Targu Neamt, 48 km North from Piatra Neamt. It was founded by Gavril hatmanul (a leader of army) and his wife, Lady Liliana (1642-1647) and dedicated in 1647.
The front sides of the monastery are covered outside with paintings of neoclassical inspiration. Inside, the church (including the catapetasma) was painted in 1860 by Nicolae Grigorescu, the foremost artist of the day. His paintings have a vividness of an invaluable artistic value.
The Wooden Church
from the cemetery contains a museum of old icons (from the seventeenth and eighteenth century) belonging to Nicolae Grigorescu. Here, many important people such as: Bogdan Petriceicu Hasdeu and his daughter Iulia, Ion Luca Caragiale, Alexandru Vlahuta, George Cosbuc, Calistrat Hogas, Duiliu Zamfirescu etc. wrote outstanding pieces of literature.
Images from the Agapia Monastery
Sihastria Monastery
The holy establishment is situated at a distance of twenty two kilometers from the town of Targu-Neamt, standing in a Sub Carpathian Valley, on a location that was formerly called “Atanasie’s Meadow”. The monastery derives its name from the name of an anchorite who constructed a skete around which there were living several other anchorites.
The founding of the monastery was Ghedeon, Bishop of Husi, who completed the construction of church (which was built of wood), a group of monastic cells and a belfry in 1655. In 1734 Ghedeon had a bigger church erected and placed it under the direction of the Secu Monastery. It was also through his preserving efforts that the monastery received a Royal Authorization from Grigore Ghica Viovode, which conferred it certain special privileges and tax-exemptions. In 1799, at the time that the Neamt Monastery was headed by Paisie Velicikovski, the Sihastria Monastery became subordinated to it.
A wooden chapel and several monastic cells were also constructed within the monastery. Between 1870 and 1910, the monastic establishment remained in a state of total dereliction; afterwards, under the earnest care of some of the residences, the church, the monastic cells and the chapel underwent extensive repairs and restoration. In 1941, a devastating fire caused great damage to the church.
Due to the fact that it was set on fire twice and remained deserted for a period of forty years, the holy establishment does not shelter any precious ecclesiastical objects or sacerdotal attire, with the exception of the icons that were painted by monk Irineu Protcenco and that were remarkably executed.
In the Sihastria Monastery lived and served Archimandrite Cleopa Ilie (deceased in December 1998), celebrated for his exemplary monastic life. Out of the monastic residents, there is the name of Father Ioanichie Balan, who authored several outstanding studies on Orthodox monasticism, among which we can enumerate The Romanian Paterikon, The Romanian Hermitic Sites, and Spiritual Dialogues.
After 2000, repairs and restoration have been made and the main church has been repainted by Archimandrite Vartolomeu Florea. Also, a new church has been erected; its patron saint is “Venerable Mother Teodora of Sihla”; the church was consecrated by Bartholomew I, the Ecumenical Patriarch, and by Patriarch Teoctist on October 12th, 1997.
Images from the Sihastria Monastery
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