Căpriana monastery ( ro, Mănăstirea Căpriana) is one of the oldest monasteries of

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistri ...

, located in Căpriana, 40 km (25 miles) north-west of

Chișinău Chișinău ( , , ), also known as Kishinev (russian: Кишинёв, r=Kishinjóv ), is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Moldova. The city is Moldova's main industrial and commercial center, and is located in the middle of the ...

Overview

Established in medieval

Moldavia Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and former principality in Centr ...

, Căpriana is situated in a picturesque forested area once called Codrii Lăpușnei. The first significant reference dates from a document issued in 1429 that gave Căpriana the status of royal monastery on behalf of

Alexander the Good Alexander the Good ( ro, Alexandru cel Bun or ''Alexandru I Mușat''; c. 1375 – 1 January 1432) was a Voivode (Lord) of Moldavia, reigning between 1400 and 1432, son of Roman I Mușat. He succeeded Iuga to the throne, and, as a ruler, ini ...

. In this deed the holy abode was referred to as "mănăstirea de la Vâșnovăț unde este egumen Chiprian" (the monastery of Vâșnovăț where the

hegumen Hegumen, hegumenos, or igumen ( el, ἡγούμενος, trans. ), is the title for the head of a monastery in the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches, similar to the title of abbot. The head of a convent of nuns is called a hegumenia ...

is Chiprian) and was given in the possession of Alexander's wife - princess Marena. After a period of decay, the monastery was rebuilt at the behest of

Petru Rareș Petru Rareș (), sometimes known as Petryła or Peter IV (Petru IV; c. 1483 – 3 September 1546), was twice voivode of Moldavia: 20 January 1527 to 18 September 1538 and 19 February 1541 to 3 September 1546. He was an illegitimate child born (pr ...

, from 1542 to 1545.

Churches

There are three churches on the monastery site. The Church of the Dormition (a stone summer church) is the oldest extant church in Moldova. The winter church of St George is a twentieth century building. The nineteenth century church is dedicated to St Nicholas. The Church of the Dormition contains the tomb of Metropolitan

Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni Gavril Bănulescu-Bodoni (; 1746 – 30 March 1821) was a Romanian clergyman who served as Metropolitan of Moldavia (1792), Metropolitan of Kherson and Crimea (1793–1799), Metropolitan of Kiev and Halych (1799–1803), Exarch ...

Gallery

Image:Bise.jpg, The stone church (1491–1496), built in

Moldavian style Moldovenesc style or Moldavian architectural style is a type of architecture developed in Moldavia during the 14th through 19th centuries. The period of maximum flowering of this style was in the period of Stephen III of Moldavia. The Moldavian m ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. ...

Stephen the Great Image:Căpriana monastery house.jpg, Inside the monastery Image:Căpriana monastery in Moldova.jpg, The "winter church" was raised in 1903, in a different architectural style (

Neo-Byzantine style Neo-Byzantine architecture (also referred to as Byzantine Revival) was a revival movement, most frequently seen in religious, institutional and public buildings. It incorporates elements of the Byzantine style associated with Eastern and Ortho ...

) during the

Bessarabia Governorate The Bessarabia Governorate (, ) was a part of the Russian Empire from 1812 to 1917. Initially known as Bessarabia Oblast (Бессарабская область, ''Bessarabskaya oblast'') as well as, following 1871, a governorate, it included ...

References

External links

Virtual tour
Visit.md
Capriana
Monasteries of Moldova

at molddata.md * Tudor Cires and Simona Lazar
"Tovarăşe părinte, evacuaţi mănăstirea!"
'' Jurnalul Naţional'', June 30, 2007, accessed December 20, 2007
"Panoramas of Căpriana monastery"
at panorama.md
"HDR Photos of Căpriana monastery"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Capriana Monastery Christian monasteries established in the 15th century Churches established by Stephen the Great Christian monasteries in Moldova Churches in Moldova Religious buildings and structures in Moldova