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| NEAMT Monastery |
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Vanatori commune, Neamt county.
Convent for monks.
Dedication day: “The Lord’s
Ascension”, 40 days after Easter. |
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Founded by Petru Musat Voivode in the 14th century and
then by Alexandru the Good Voivode. The main church of the
holy establishment was founded by Stephen the Great in 1497.
Within the monastery grounds there stand two churches and two
chapels: the main church, whose dedication day is “Ascension
of the Lord”, dating from the 15th century; the
church of “Great Martyr George the Trophy-Bearer”, dating
from the 19th century; the “Dormition of the
Birthgiver of God” chapel, dating from the 18th
century.
The architecture of the main church follows the Moldavian
architectural pattern, which is characteristic of the epoch
of Stephen the Great.
The original paintings have been
preserved in the altar, in the naos and in the burial
chamber, whereas in the porch and pronaos the paintings were
executed during the reign of Petru Rares Voivode.
In 1997
(on the commemoration of five hundred years since the
consecration of the church) was completed the restoration of
the paintings, of the altar and the burial chamber. |
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Because some unprofessional restoration activities had been made
before the 20th century, the medieval aspect of
the monastery declined considerably. The most recent
renovation of the whole establishment, which took place
between 1954 and 1961, restored also initial appearance of
the church and of the fortress as well. Metropolitans Iustin
and Teoctist, helped the monastery to recover its former
beauty, which we admire now.
The museum of the monastery shelters a collection of religious art items, a printing-room, a collection of icons and
liturgical objects. The establishment owns the largest
monastic library in Romania – holding eighteen thousand
volumes – and a lot of extremely valuable manuscripts (out
of which two hundred are in the Slavonic language, over
eighty in the Greek language, and over one hundred and fifty
in the Romanian language), all of them dating from the 14th
through the 19th centuries. |
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The Neamt Monastery has had a great contribution to the
development of culture and art in medieval Romania. A school
for calligraphy and miniaturists that was founded by Gavriil
Uric was also accommodated within the monastery. In the 17th
century here lived the famous chroniclers Macarie and
Eftimie, and Father Paisie Velicikovski (in the 18th
century). In the year 1808, Veniamin Costachi set up a
printing press on the premises.
In front of the monastery there stands a holy-water font, which
constitutes a particularity of this monastic establishment;
the consecration of the water is performed on the dedication
day. Inside the church is a miracle-making icon of the
Theotokos, which was donated to Alexandru the Good Voivode
by a member of the Paleologu family.
The holy relics that were discovered in 1986 (when the pavement
on the main alley, which leads to the church, was removed),
of the burial chamber where there were buried the earthly
remains of the resident monastics and of the soldiers who
had fought to defend this area, as well as of the eleven
church bells, which are renowned for their unique sound.
The monastery also shelters the Metropolitan printing house
(where there are employed both resident monastic and lay
workers). A carpentry workshop (for making wooden objects
and structures) and a workshop for making objects of iron
have also been accommodated within the monastery.
The Theological Seminary of the Archdiocese of Iasi is also
located within the monastery. In this holy establishment
several of our hierarchs took religious vows: Metropolitan
Nestor Vornicescu, Metropolitan of Oltenia, Pimen,
Archbishop of Suceava and Radauti, Epifanie Norocel, Bishop
of Buzau, Gherasim Cucosel, and Ioachim Mares, Bishop of
Husi.
The followings sketes have been affiliated to the Neamt
Monastery: |
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Icoana Veche (Old Icon) Skete - Vanatori commune, Neamt county. It is at a distance of
approximately six kilometers from the Neamt Monastery, that
the icon of the Theotokos (which belonged to the monastic
establishment) remained buried in the ground from 3rd, June
1821 until 28th, October 1822 – lest it should be destroyed
by the Turks or Greeks during the rebellion at the time. In
1923, Father Iosif Craciun, a monastic resident, constructed
a small church on the premises, which was called The Icoana
(Icon) Skete, and which unfortunately collapsed when the
disastrous earthquake in 1940 struck the area. For three
years, from 1969 until 1972, Ioan Buluc tried to revive the
former monastic life of the holy establishment.
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Icoana Noua (New Icon) Skete - Vanatori commune, Neamt county. In 1946, this skete was
initially constructed as living quarters for the monastic
residents of the Neamt Monastery, who were making a living
from raising cattle and sawing logs. The Abbot’s house and
the chapel were constructed later, in 1951. A belfry that
was provided with three towers was also erected. All
construction looks as an old monastic location. The
dedication day is “The Transfiguration”.
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Vovidenia Skete
- Vanatori commune, Neamt county. It was founded by Ioanichie, Bishop of
Roman, in 1754. The church (which was constructed of brick)
was erected between 1849 and1853. The former monastic life
of the skete was revived after 1990. A refectory and a group
of monastic cells have also been constructed on the
premises.
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Skete of Saint John the New of Suceava (Bolnita)
- Vanatori commune, Neamt
county. Father Neonil, the abbot of the skete, laid the
foundation of a church building that was constructed both of
brick and stone in 1843. The patron saint of the chapel that
is located within the skete is “Saint John the New of
Suceava”. The skete offers religious assistance to olds,
sick and disabled monastic.
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Skete of
the Apostles Emperor Constantine and his mother Helena – Baiceni
village, Iasi county. It was founded after 1990. The
dedication day is The Apostles Emperor Constantine and his
mother Helena”.
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Pocrov Skete – Vanatori commune, Neamt county. It was founded by Pahomie, Bishop of
Roman in 1714. The dedication day is “Protection of the
Mother of Good”.
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Skete of Holy Apostles Peter and Paul – Branistea village, Neamt county. It was founded in 1999.
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