UNESCO
Putna
The Putna monastery, the first monastery built by Stefan the Great in 1466, is fortified with thick walls and towers, a sign that the monastery also had economic and strategic functions. Inside the monastery is Putna's famous museum, one of the most valuable museums of Byzantine art and tradition in the world. Epitaphs, embroideries, manuscripts locked in gold, silver or leather and objects carved in wood are kept here.
Every year, on 2nd July people go on pilgrimage to the tomb of Stefan the Great, who is buried in Putna. He was canonised by the Romanian Orthodox Church Gathering in 1992.
Moldovita
Moldovita, built in 1532 by Petru Rares and painted in 1537, is illustrative for its period, a veritable monument of the Romanian feudal architecture, a real fortress that harmoniously fits into the natural landscape. Its exterior paintings are extremely impressive, suggestive and, fortunately, in good condition.
Present in the medieval Moldavian iconography, the Persian siege on the Constantinople is painted on the exterior of the church ''Buna Vestire", on the southern side.
In the Museum of the Monastery one can find 16th century furniture engraved and coloured with folk art motifs, used in peasant traditional art. The princely chair of Petru Rares with a back of 2 meters height is a synthesis of Moldavia' s 16th century ornamental art. Clerical furniture from the 17th century is also exposed as well as icons, valuable books, embroideries, wooden sculptures, ornamental pottery and the prize, 'Pomme d' Or ', awarded by the International Federation of Journalists in tourism, certifying the international recognition of the monasteries in the North of Moldova.
Humor
The Humor monastery, the first painted of the Moldova's monasteries with exterior frescoes, was built in 1530 by the chancellor Toader Bubuiog and his wife Anastasia. Later in 1641 a watchtower was added and in 1960-1972 it was fully restored.
Painted on the outside from the eaves to the foundations, Humor monastery looks like a page of a manuscript covered with miniatures. In fact the Humor monastery has a tradition in miniature art. In the 15th century there were miniatures' painters and calligraphers working in the monastery. Their most important creation is a famous miniature image of Stefan the Great painted in a beautiful Gospel.
The outstanding interior painting surprises through the remarkable execution, determining the foreign specialists to compare it to the painting on the ceiling of the baptistery of Ravenna.
The well-known historian Paul Henry stated that Italian art has nothing more beautiful and the artist seems to have rediscovered the great Byzantine tradition in the profound sense of the architectural composition that characterises the baptistery at Ravenna.
The exterior painting divided in big parts and representing beautiful faces, renders, besides biblical scenes, the fall of Constantinople (1453) described by the Moldavian artists in a unique way. The hatred for the enemy was so great that the hope for a miracle made the painters of Humor paint a defeat of the Turks, instead of a certified victory.
Above that the poem written by the Patriarch Serghie of Constantinople is painted, the poem dedicated to Virgin Mary who saved the city during the attack of the Persians in 626. Another fresco of big proportions represents the life of St. Nicolae, in 15 scenes of a rare clarity, brightly coloured.
Several paintings represent the families of the founders: Petru Rares and Councillor Toader Bubuiog,
An extremely valuable collection of icons from the 16th century is exposed in the monastery.
Arbore
The Arbore church was build in 1502 by the noble Luca Arbore, advisor and close friend of Stefan the Great. The church, made of raw stone, is characteristic for the Moldavian clerical architecture during the time of Stefan the Great. Unlike other churches, at Arbore the towers are missing, a sign that the church was built as a small village church. The frescoes of an unprecedented artistic beauty were painted in 1541 and although large parts of them are deteriorated, the exterior western wall, representing scenes from the Genesis and the life of the saints, still maintains its original colours. The main colour is green -5 hues of green - blended with blue, yellow and red .The drawing is delicate and lively, the charcters are in motion, the citadels and buildings are seen in perspective. The characters are animated, graceful, their faces are glowing and their clothes are extremely elegant. The female saints move with soft elastic steps like ballet dancers. Frescoes of a great historical and artistic value are present here . The portraits of the Arbore Family, 'The Hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary' and 'The Judgement Day', are painted here at Arbore in an unusual spot - on the southern wall (it is usually painted on the western side). For the painting of the church the Moldavian painters used about 15 shades, proof being the 15 small hollows cut in stone found at Arbore church.
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