Day 6: Voronet, Moldovita and Sucevita Monasteries (UNESCO World Heritage Sites)
Suceava – Voronet – Vama – Vatra Moldovitei – Sucevita – Putna – Iasi
In the morning, you will be transferred from Suceava to Voronet where you will discover
Voronet Monastery. It is one of the famous painted monasteries and was founded in 1488 by Stephen the Great to celebrate a victory over the Turks at Battle of Vaslui. Often known as the “Sistine Chapel of the East”, due to its interior and exterior wall paintings, this monastery offers an abundance of frescoes featuring an intense shade of blue commonly known as “Voronet blue”. The church dedicated to St. George is possibly the most famous church in Romania and is one of the painted churches listed in the list of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites.
The journey will continue in Vama. Here, you will visit the
Egg Museum where there are over 7,000 eggs from all over the world displayed in 22 glass-cases. You will be able to admire eggs collected from international exhibitions and eggs from Bucovina with unique, old motifs and patterns inherited from ancestors.
Next, you will discover
Moldovita Monastery that was built in 1532 by Petru Rare?, as a protective barrier against the Muslim Ottoman conquerors. The predominantly gold and deep blue paintings on the exterior walls were completed in 1537. Its church dedicated to the Annunciation, was included in the list of UNESCO’s Word Heritage Sites. On the church’s southern exterior wall, a depiction of the Siege of Constantinople is highlighted. Inside the sanctuary, a portrait of Prince Petru Rares, offering the church to Christ, is painted. The museum of the monastery preserves manuscripts from the 15th century, old prints, objects of worship, embroideries and Petru Rares’s seat (16th century) - the most valuable piece of its kind in Moldova.
In Sucevita village you will visit
Sucevita Monastery built in 1585 by Ieremia Movila, Gheorghe Movila and Simion Movila. The architecture of the church contains both Byzantine and Gothic elements, and some elements typical to other painted churches of northern Moldova. Both interior and exterior walls are covered by mural paintings that date from around 1601, which makes Sucevita the last painted monastery to be decorated in this style. In 2010, the monastery was included by UNESCO on its list of World Heritage Sites, as one of the painted churches of Moldova. The interior court of the monastic ensemble is almost square (100 by 104 meters) and is surrounded by high (6 m), wide (3 m) walls, including four towers (one in each corner). Sucevita was a princely residence as well as a fortified monastery and its thick walls today shelter a museum that presents an outstanding collection of historical and art objects.
The last attraction of the day will be
Putna Monastery, a Romanian Orthodox monastery and one of the most important cultural, religious and artistic centers established in medieval Moldavia. It was built by Stephen the Great, famous for building and influencing the building of many churches and monasteries all over Moldavia. The Putna Monastery houses the tombs of Stephen - nowadays, a place of pilgrimage. The monastery has been damaged many times by fires and earthquakes during its five centuries but has always been restored and remains the centre of spiritual life in Bucovina.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Voronet Monastery,
Egg Museum ,
Moldovita Monastery,
Sucevita Monastery ,
Putna Monastery