The Birnova Monastery Assembly comprises a church from the 17th century erected by Miron Barnovschi, initially dedicated to Saint George and then to the Beheading of St. John Baptist. Next to it there is a ruined house from the 18th century, in the time of Grigore Ghica Voivode, the belfry at the entrance and the surrounding wall. The church, made of shaped stone, has a special architecture and it is among the few monuments that have been preserved in their initial form. The monastery has an active monastic community (17 monks).

Miron Costin, the Moldavian chronicler used to say about the ruler Miron Barnovschi that "there was no ruler to build so many monasteries in such a short time". Unfortunately, in 1629, when he was forced to leave the throne, neither the monastery nor the surrounding wall was finished. In his will, written in Constantinople, the place where he was beheaded, he expressed his wish that "God would find a Christian ruler to finish the wooden monastery that he had begun". This Christian ruler was Evstratie Dabija who, with the help of the monks from the monastery, succeeded to finish the monastery between 1666-1667. The assembly was finished in 1728 by the ruler Grigore Ghica who restored the surrounding wall and its towers and who built above the cellar a big house whose ruins can be seen today. The monastery bears the warlike trace of its founder, being endowed with a system of fortification, being also a refuge for the ruler. The dedication to St. George was meant to show the military destination of this place.

The legend says that the second dedication of the church (the beheading of St. John Baptist) was chosen in the memory of the founder who was beheaded by the Turks on July 2, 1633. The one who finished the monastery, the ruler Evstratie Dabija, is buried inside the church and his grave is covered by a sculpted marble tombstone (from 1666) with Slavic inscriptions on it. Next to that it is the tombstone of the ruler's daughter, Lady Maria who died at the age of 15, and about whom a Greek inscription from 1667 mentions. They say that during the epidemic of fever the ruler Grigore Ghica with his court were sheltered at the Birnova Monastery.

During 1950-1991 the monastery was wiped out, the church being taken care of by the villagers. Since 1990 a group of young monks have brought the monastic life back again. There is also here an outstanding workshop for church painting.

Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (1)		Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (2)		Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (3)		Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (4)		Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (5)

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Inside the Church of the Monastery

Inside the Church of the Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (1 ...		Inside the Church of the Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (2 ...		Inside the Church of the Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (3 ...		Inside the Church of the Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (4 ...		Inside the Church of the Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (5 ...

Inside the Church of the Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (6 ...		Inside the Church of the Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (7 ...		Inside the Church of the Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (8 ...		Inside the Church of the Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (9 ...		Inside the Church of the Barnova Monastery, Iasi, Romania (1 ...