The Painted Monasteries
Among the most picturesque treasures of Romania are the painted churches located in Bucovina, many of which are protected by UNESCO as part of humankind's world heritage.
These richly decorated houses of worship are "albums" of fresco art that have survived the elements since the 15th century. The Voronet Monastery Church
in Bucovina, founded in 1488 by Stephen the Great, is widely known throughout
Europe as "the Sistine Chapel of the East," because of its interior and
exterior wall pa
intings, which offer an abundance of blue-chromatic frescoes
featuring a color that has come to be known as Voronet blue. The frescoes of
this church and many other painted churches in the Bucovina region illustrate
biblical scenes, prayers, episodes of sacred hymns and themes such as The
Last Judgment and The Ladder of St. John, all variously featuring the
colorful and detail-rich imagery of apostles, evangelists, philosophers,
martyrs, angels and demons. Beside their vivid frescoes the painted monasteries are famous for the original way of depicting beliefs or events: Sucevita with its unique ?Ladder of Virtue?; Humor, featuring the devil amusingly depicted as a woman, and Moldovita, where a monumental scene of the Siege of Constantinopole is displayed.
Easily accesible from the cities of Suceava or Campulung Moldovenesc the ?painted? monasteries area is also known for its unspoiled villages, its dramatic scenery and for the nearby vineyards of Cotnari.
More information about Bucovina:
Bucovina Tourism Promotion Office
Strada Sirenei 21,
725100 Campulung Moldovenesc, SUCEAVA
Telephone: 726.577.560 or 740.601.284
E-mail:
turismsv@yahoo.com
www.turismbucovina.3x.ro
This section is courtesy of Travel Lady Magazine
Romania's Painted Monasteries
by Joyce Dalton
"More religious frescoes?" Yes and no. Frescoes, surely, and
unquestionably religious, but in northeastern Romania's Bucovina region,
the "big five" painted monasteries greatest treasures aren't hidden behind
closed doors. Instead, they cover the exterior walls, eaves to ground,
ready to overwhelm viewers at first glimpse. They've been doing just that
for some 500 years.
Easily accessible from bases in Campulung
Moldovenesc or Suceava, these UNESCO World Heritage Monuments can be
viewed in one frustratingly rushed day, but are better savored in two or
three. Most packaged tours of Romania include at least three of the
monasteries. Joining a locally based tour or hiring a taxi for the day are
other options. Those not intimidated by narrow, winding, often pot-holed
mountain roads will find a rental car the best way to explore both scenery
and sights.
A sample circuit could begin from Campulung Moldovenesc's
comfortable Hotel Zimbrul. The hotel is right on the main street, as is
the turn-off for the first monastery and the return from the last. A
30-minute drive through mountains thick with fir trees leads to Moldovita,
founded in 1532. Hundreds of tableaux bring childhood Sunday school
lessons to life, but there is also the chance to learn a little history.
One of Moldovita's most valuable compositions recreates, in vibrant reds
and blues, the siege of Constantinople. For centuries, Romania suffered
Turkish invasions and many of the country's 2,000-plus monasteries were
built in gratitude for various victories.
Although the monasteries
builders could hardly have anticipated 20th Century driving times, the
fact remains that a 30-minute drive separates one from another. A wooded
stretch brings travelers to Sucevita whose powerful stone fortification
walls and towers seem more likely to enclose a bleak medieval castle than
wall after wall of glorious paintings. Dating to the late 16th Century,
Sucevita boasts the greatest number of images — thousands — painted
against a green background often compared to the color of a lawn just
after the rain.
At the town of Marginea, noted for black
pottery, drivers should turn south to Solca where a short detour leads to
the monastery of Arbore. If time demands skipping something, Arbore would
be the choice as its exterior frescoes have faded considerably. However,
the interior offers a chance to observe the Romanian Orthodox custom of
hanging embroidered scarves around icons and from chandeliers. In all the
monasteries, interior paintings have not fared too well, proving that
incense and candle smoke can be more destructive than wind and
rain.
To reach the next monastery, return to Solca, continue
south to the town of Gura Humorului, then follow signs for Humor
monastery. You'll know you've arrived when a roadside display of painted
eggs, hand-embroidered vests and cloth comes into view. Prices are low,
the quality of workmanship high. In the 15th Century, calligraphers and
painters of miniatures practiced their craft at Humor, whose walls have
been described as "pages of a manuscript covered with miniatures, left
lying on a lawn." Here, the devil is portrayed as a woman, humorous to
today's viewers, but true to ancient peasant belief, while a "hora"
(traditional dance) danced in celebration of the Biblical prodigal son's
return could have been modeled after a 20th century Moldavian village
gathering.
Doing the circuit in reverse, starting rather than
ending at Voronet monastery, would detract from the sense of perfection
and completion that strikes almost all who view this gem. Chronicles state
that Stephen the Great, Romania's most renowned ruler, erected the
monastery in only three months, back in 1488, to fulfill a pledge after
defeating the Turks. Its gentle, yet vivid, blues (popularly known as
"Voronet blue") plus the quality of the frescoes have led to Voronet's
billing as the "Sistine Chapel of the East." A magnificent Last Judgment
covers an entire wall. Animals, including elephants and whales, join
people in procession toward the open gates of heaven. First, though, they
must pass the seat of judgment. Here, Byzantine-style figures have the
soft faces of Moldavian women while angels blow the traditional shepherd's
long horn, the "bucium," and the paradise-bound are covered with
embroidered cloths.
These monasteries remain active, so visitors
might chance on a service where the high voices of nuns sing in response
to the chanting of the priest. If a clacking sound is heard, it signals a
nun circling the church repeatedly striking a long wooden board, or
"toaca," with small mallets to announce the start of services.
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