Voronet Monastery

In 1488 Prince Stephen the Great erected the Voronet monastery under the advice of Daniil Sihastrul, his trusted counselor. The church was built in less than 4our months, between May 26th and September 14th of the same year.

The church is considered to be the epitome of the Moldavian architectural style: a synthesis of Byzantine elements (the foundation in shamrock-shape with a steeple just above the nave) and Gothic elements (arches and columns).

Interior and exterior frescoes were painted as instructed by metropolitan bishop Grigorie Rosca. The impressive frescoes that decorate the nave and the apse were painted during the same period, while the smaller icons illustrating the Christian calendar located in the narthex were painted later.

The grandiose outside mural paintings have won this monastery the worldwide reputation as the “Sistine Chapel of the East” and are referred to in Orthodox circles in the same league with the Vatican, Pisa and San Marco of Venice, as well as the Dome of Siena and Assisi of Athos. The scene of the Last Judgment is painted on the entire western wall and has been spoken of as unique in the religious Western and Easter art because of the way in which colors are combined into an outstanding chromatic effect and also due to how traditional folk motifs are combined into an the overall body of the work. No less important is the theme of the Tree of the Genesis, which covers the entire southern wall of the church.
There are certain striking features at the Voronet Monastery as they are also at other churches of this wonderful region, most of which are painted inside and outside as well: not only did the painter introduce in his frescoes plants, flowers and animals specific to this region, not only did he substitute the Moldavian “cobza” for the harp in king David’s hands, not only does the herald angel in the Last Judgment blow the sorrowful “bucium” (i.e. the alp horn of Romanian shepherds) instead of blowing the trumpet, not only does the cart that carries away prophet Elijah recall the peasants’ carts, but the painter also lent the appearance of the inhabitants of those parts to the Biblical characters;