Putna Monastery
judetul Suceava
Location: Putna commune, Suceava County.
Abstract: Mănăstirea Putna is a monastery for monks (mănăstire de călugări) founded in 1466-1469 by Ştefan cel Mare şi Sfânt (Stephen the Great and Holy).
According to the chronicles of the period, construction began in June 1466 and was completed in 1469. Consecration of the monastic establishment occurred on 8 September 1470. Today more than 80 monks live at Putna. Their main service to humanity is to pray for the whole world.
On 20-21 June 1992, the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church ratified the canonization of Ştefan cel Mare under the name of "The Pious King Stephen the Great and Holy."
Putna monastery is situated just 72 km from the fortress of Suceava (see photos at scaun.htm). The church was rebuilt in 1662 by Vasile Lupu and restored several times (most recently during 1966-1998). The only building that is preserved from the time of Ştefan cel Mare is the Treasure Tower, whose construction was completed in 1481. The jewels of the monastery are preserved here.
It is considered by many Romanians to be the "Jerusalem of Romania," because Ştefan cel Mare's tomb rests inside the monastery's chapel. Ştefan is one of Romania's most treasured national heroes, especially in Moldavia. The renowned Romanian poet, Mihai Eminescu, who visited Putna 14-16 August 1871 (on the 400th anniversary of the consecration of the church), said in a speech: "Let us make Putna the Jerusalem of the Romanian people, and let us also make Stephen's grave the altar of our national conscience."
Nearby is the hill (Dealul Crucii) from which Ştefan allegedly shot an arrow on 4 July 1446 to determine where the monastery should be built (I have a photo of the hill, with Ştefan's name spelled out in green grass). The Romanian historian Ion Neculce wrote: "When he decided to build the Monastery of Putna, Stephen the Great launched his arrow from the top of a mountain that was in the neighborhood of the monastery and on the very spot the arrow fell, the sanctuary or the altar was built."
Construction of the church of the Dormition of Theotokos (Theotokes is the Greek name given to the icon of the Virgin Mother and Child) began on 10 July 1466, after Stephen the Great conquered the fortress of Chilia. Construction ended in 1469. The service of consecration was performed on 3 September 1470. The dedication ceremony had been delayed because of a campaign against the Tartars, which ended with the victory of Lipnic (Lipinti) on the Nistru river.
Afterwards construction began on the Princely House (1473), the cells, the fortress, the belfries, and the Treasure Tower. The entire complex was finished in 1481. For centuries after, the Putna Monastery went through many trials, fires, foreign invasions, and earthquakes.
On 15 March 1484 a fire destroyed the cells and part of the church. As a result, Stephen the Great decided that the church was to be restored and painted on both the interior and exterior.
The original chapel was destroyed in 1653. Soon after, between 1653-1662, it was rebuilt by the rulers Vasile Lupu, Gheorghe Stefan, and Eustratie Dabija. It was destroyed again in 1739 in an earthquake and restored once again in 1976-1983. It conforms to the Moldavian style, consisting of five "rooms": a porch, narthex (entry), burial vault, nave, and altar. The frescoes were painted between 1980-1984 by the brothers Mihail and Gavril Morosan.
After the Habsburg occupation, which began on 7 May 1775, the monastery underwent further modifications. New cells were built (1852-1856) and changes were made to the form of the roof (1859). The most important changes took place in 1902 under the supervision of the Austrian architect K.A. Romstorfer.
Conceived as a princely necropolis from the very beginning, the chapel shelters 14 graves. Made 12 years before he died, the grave of Stephen the Great is in the southern part of the burial vault. Next to it is the grave of Lady Maria Voichita. On the northern side, there are three other graves: (1) Stephen's wife, Lady Maria of Mangop, and Stephen's sons, (2) Petru and (3) Bogdan III.
The monastery had been considerably cleaned up while I was there due to the high-ranking politicians who attended the 500th year anniversary of Ştefan's reign (he died in 1504).
Dedication: 15 August ("Assumption of the Virgin" day).
View Photo Album
Photos in this set: 23.
Go to the thumbnail photo page to see thumbnails of the photos available in this set. To avoid possible long download times, a max of 10 thumbnail photos are shown per page.
If you prefer, you may view all the photos in this album, beginning with this set, as full-size pictures in a manual slide show.
Note
Thumbnails come in two formats: horizontal (128x96) or vertical (96x128). Full-size photos come in two formats: horizontal (800x600) or vertical (450x600).
County Order
Monastery sets are grouped by county (judetul) so that set and photo navigation occurs alphabetically in the following county order:
- jud. Bacau
- jud. Bistriţa-Năsăud
- jud. Cluj
- jud. Covasna
- jud. Dâmboviţa
- jud. Hargita
- jud. Neamţ
- jud. Suceava
You are here!
- jud. Unknown
