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- Dragomirna Monastery – Fortified SpiritualityThe Wooden Churches from Maramures – Orthodox GothicThe Trovants – Living StonesMarasesti Mausoleum – Honoring The SacrificeAgapia Monastery – Nature, Spirituality, ArtMysteries And Symbols In Romanian SculpturesSarmizegetusa Regia – The Heart of the Dacian KingdomTwo Sisters from Cluj-NapocaCraiova’s Art Museum – a Jewel Containing Other JewelsDecebalus Head at Mraconia – The Romanian Mount RushmoreCartisoara – The Memorial House of Badea CartanStavropoleos Monastery – Treasure Trove of Byzantine CultureBucharest Aviation Museum – Wings of HistoryRomanian Pyramids of Sona: Decebalus’ Tomb?Polovragi Cave Takes You Back in TimeThe Clock Museum from Ploiesti, RomaniaThe Cave From Romanesti – The Cave That RocksSighisoara Medieval FestivalCetatea Neamt – The Strongest Moldavian FortressThe Carpathians – A Cathartic ExperienceBanffy Bontida Medieval Castle – the Versailles of TransylvaniaUnseen Monasteries from Oltenia“George Enescu” Memorial HouseSapanta – The Merry CemeteryAdamclisi – Talking HistoryThe “B.P.Hasdeu“ Memorial MuseumThe Momarlani – A Special PeopleThe Berca Mud VolcanoesRasnov FortressLake Sfanta AnaFagaras FortressThe Palace of the Parliament in BucharestRomanian MotorcyclingTaking the Tour of BucharestThe Danube Delta – a wild land
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Agapia Monastery – Nature, Spirituality, Art
Among other Romanian monasteries, Agapia was blessed with all the gifts a cultural settlement could wish for: natural enviroment, great development and priceless works of art.
Agapia Monastery is situated on the small river in the forest of Agapia, 3 km far from the village bearing the same name and 9 km far from Targu Neamt (Neamt County, Moldavia). The first monastic settlement called Agapia was a hermitage and was built near the present location, on a hill. Because that position wasn’t very accessible, the monks decided to move down the hill, where they built a small wooden church.
The stone church, dedicated to Archangels Michael and Gabriel, was built during the reign of Vasile Lupu (1634 – 1653), between 1641 and 1643 and its construction was financed by the ruler’s brother, hetman Gavril Coci, and his wife, Liliana. The settlement was provided with mansions for the monks, a bell tower and walls and it was consecrated by the head of the Moldavian Orthodox church, Varlaam, in 1646. On this occasion, hetman Gavriil donated to the monastery a Gospel book written on parchment and decorated with miniatures of the Evangelists, as well as a silver gilt filigree cross with eight arms. Other rich donations, consisting in lands and animals were made to the new establishment.
The monastery had to endure extremely troubled times and, on some occasions, the monks were forced to take refuge in the mountains and leave Agapia deserted. The Turks and Tartars looted the monastery in 1674 and 1675 and the Polish even transformed it in stables in 1680. In the present, the monastery’s church has two exonarthexes, a narthex, a nave with its tower, and a shrine, as well as an external diaconicon and prothesis on either side of the shrine.
At the beginning of the XIXth century, during the reign of Alexandru Morudzi, the monks were transferred somewhere else and Agapia became a nun monastery. It has remained so until present times, when it hosts the second largest number of nuns in the country (300). In 1858, the prioress Tavefta Ursache decided the church some new decorations and she employed an 18 years old painter, who had previously distinguished himself while working at Zamfira monastery, Nicolae Grigorescu.
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