Neamt Monastery, Romania
Surrounded by old forests, at the bottom of the mountains, is raising the oldest monastery of Moldavia - Neamt Monastery.
Founded by (14th century), Neamt monastery takes part in many historical events of the country. Jewel of the 15th century architecture, the church is built here by Stefan cel Mare is finished in the same year when the Moldavian army wins the battle against King Ioan Albert (1497).
Sumptuous, with delicate colour effects, only by architecturL point, the monastery shows the maturity of the Moldavian architectonic style, curdled during Stefan cel Mare ruling. The façades of the church are covered with the decoration characteristic for Stefan cel Mare's foundations: Gothic windows, friezes with enamelled disks, coloured in greeen, yellow an brown.
In the chamber of the tombs, which appears for the first time at this church, if the tomb of Stefan al II-lea, son of Alexandru cel Bun and uncle of Stefan cel Mare.
The art treasures kept at Neamt Monastery are proofs of the intense artistical and cultural activities from here along the centuries. Here Gavril Uric showed his talent, the most important representant of the Moldavian miniature from the 15th century. His first known manuscript, dated 1429, is kept in the Bodleian Library from Oxford (UK). The calligraphers and miniaturist of Stefan cel Mare from this important center have made many of the books given to Putna Monastery. In the cells if the monastery, the chronicler Macarie wrote the chronicle of Petru Rares ruling, and Eftimie the chronicle of Alexandru Lapusneanu ruling.
The learned tradition of the Neamt Monastery disapears in the 17th an 18th centuries, to reborn at the begining of next century, when Veniamin Costachi Metropolitan creates here a printing house. In the monastery museum is the old printing device, which served, in 1807, at the printing of the first books. In the monastery is a famous library for more then 600 years of existence. Among the almost 11000 volumes, many rare books, some being the first printings from the country. From the treasure of the monastery, the altar screen of the former church from Neamt Fortress, is the most important, and also the icon painted by Nicolae Grigorescu "The runaway from Egypt".
|
