| Places of interest - Moldavia | |
Suceava In the second half of the 15th century, under the reign of Stephan the Great, Moldova witnessed the most spectacular economic and architectonic development, as well as its greatest territorial upper limit ever known. At first, he built or restored walled cities (Suceava, Neamt, Chilia, Orhei), princely courts (Iasi, Vaslui, Piatra Neamt) and some other military constructions, and only after that he directed toward the building of churches and monasteries. Only after nine years of reign did the voivode
start the building of the famous series of religious dwellings.
The first to be raised was PUTNA. It was built between 1466
- 1469 as a sign of gratitude to God for having regained the
stronghold Chilia from the Turks. Putna marks the beginning of a remarkable Moldavian architectonic style, a mixture of Byzantine elements (structure and mural paintings) and Gothic elements (the height and the buttresses of the church, the carved vaulted windows and divided roofs). |
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The
church has a triconical plan, and is made up of apse, nave pronaos
and covered porch. According to the chronicler Ion Neculce it
seems that both the inner and outer walls had been initially painted
(“there is more gold than paint”) but the paintings have been
destroyed over the years by fires, rains, severe colds and earthquakes.
Only 19 years after its dedication the church was burnt to the
ground and the voivode had it to rebuilt. The church houses the
grave of Stephan the Great. He took care of the preparations during
his life: a sarcophagus decorated with stylish floral motifs and
the tombstone carved with oak leaves and flowers. A votive light
is permanently lit above the tomb in front of which many people
have knelt and prayed for eternal peace for the voivode as well
as for their own future. Stephen the Great was canonized on 2nd
July, the date of his death. |
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