Day 30 – July 12th – Sucevita
We enjoyed the slow start for the day, with breakfast in the restaurant area of the Pensiunea not until 8am. The young lady who seems to run this place seems to be on duty at all hours. She was at the restaurant last evening, and greeting us for breakfast this morning. She speaks basic English and seems very lovely.
Our plan today was to walk the 3k back along the only road, the main road, to the tiny village centre where the famous Sucevita Monastery, with its beautifully frescoed church was located. Breakfast was very filling – we had freshly cooked omelettes which were so large we could hardly get through them! After breakfast we were still slow to get going, but eventually by late morning we set off for the rather long walk to the village centre, with its two very small general stores with a few market stalls selling local handicrafts.
The painted Monasteries are among the most greatly prized treasures of Romania. Local to the Bucovina Province of the north east sector of Romania, the painted Monasteries were built in the 15th and early 16th century, featuring portraits of saints and prophets, scenes from the life of Jesus, and images featuring angels, demons, heaven and hell.
Apparently these churches, about twelve in all, and all within a 50k radius of the northern town of Suceava, are one-of-a-kind architectural masterpieces in all of Europe, in fact of the world. Most cathedrals and Basilicas in Europe are beautifully frescoed on the inside walls and in the massive domes. However, these churches of Bucovina are also painted over the entire exterior walls as well.
As masterpieces of Byzantine art, the purpose of the gifted artists was for the frescoes to make the story of the Bible and the lives of the saints known to villagers by the use of the images.
The Sucevita Monastery is a working Monastery and Orthodox church. We arrived at about 11am to the sounds of an Orthodox service taking place. The grounds were filled with people, both tourists and families attending the worship. We’ve noticed that Orthodox churches do not have seating, so people seem to be ‘coming and going’ all the time.
We enjoyed the warmth of the morning sun while taking our time to enjoy the beautifully kept grounds of the inner courtyard with its coloured rose beds and lovely shrubs and trees. The Sucevita Monastery appears more like a fortress with its distinctive heavily buttressed defense towers and high walls very much in good condition. Founded in 1581 by Gheorghe Movila, the Bishop of nearby Radauti, the walls were painted in 1602-1603 by local artists. Work remains incomplete on the western wall after the work being stopped when one of the painters fell from scaffolding to his death.
Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit the Moldovita Monastery which was built in 1532, which has a magnificent fresco of the ‘Siege of Constantinople’ and the ‘Tree of Jesse’, which depicts the genealogy of Christ.
It was our best intention to visit a third Monastery during the afternoon, requiring a drive of some 60k. However, holiday fever overtook us, and we both enjoyed a very deep sleep instead! I have now got the first touches of a solid head cold, which gives me aches and pains in the neck and back. Sleep was a nice way to enjoy our penultimate afternoon in the country of Romania.
Tomorrow we have a huge drive ahead of us, some 420k all the way south to the village of Urziceni, a short distance from Bucharest and the airport, from where we will fly to Moldova.
It has been a very quiet, warm and slow day here today at Sucevita, from where we send our love as the lovely sun sets over the beautiful and majestic Carpathian mountain range, which is in full view from our small 3rd storey balcony.
Until tomorrow….
KRA
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