In the end only the icons of St. Mary Mother of Jesus, St Varvara and St Parascheva were painted in oil and the rest were executed in tempera. Above the doors that mark the entrance in the altar of the church are painted the scene of the last supper, the scene of the good news (when St. Mary found out that she’s going to have Jesus as a baby), the birth of Jesus and His baptism.

In the tower there is the painting of the Holy Trinity and in the four corners of the arches that sustain the tower there are the four evangelists. The wall that separates the nave and the narthex is painted with the archangels Mihail and Gavril from 1927. Inside the church you’ll also see the painting of those that built the church: Stefan cel Mare together with his wife Maria, the daughter of Radu cel Frumos and his two sons: Bogdan in the right and Alexandru to the left.

Visit Tazlau Monastery and experience a glimpse of the history from these parts!

Neamt Monastery has a incredible collection of religious objects, paintings, manuscripts and old typography pieces that have a great historic, religious, cultural and artistic value. Also, here there is the oldest religious library with over 18,000 books.

Neamt Monastery location and its Hermitages

Inside the main church from Neamt Monastery pilgrims come to pray at the Icon of St Mary which dates from the year 665 and its considered to be a miracle-making religious icon.

Attraction points inside Neamt Monastery

The History of Neamt Monastery (images and HD video) – Petru Musat was the one that built a stone church at Neamt Monastery to replace the old wooden one. In the year 1471 an earthquake damaged the church and for this reason Stefan cel Mare built a new church near the old one. The first religious service was held after the great victory from “Codrii Cosminului” Forest. In the year 1485 Neamt Monastery receives a gift from ruler Stefan cel Mare under the form of a bell. From all the old buildings that once were there, today we can only see the church of Stefan cel Mare and the lower part of the bell-tower built by ruler Alexandru cel Bun.

The Lidian Icon – the priceless religious-icon from Neamt Monastery – One of the most important objects from Neamt Monastery that also has a special religious value can be seen in “Inaltarea Domnului” Church from the inner court of the monastery: this object is the religious-icon of St Mary Mother of Jesus, also known as The Lidian Icon. This religious-icon dates from 665 and was painted in Lidia, the home land of St Gheorghe. In 1429 the religious-icon was given as a gift to ruler Alexandru cel Bun by the Byzantine Emperor Ioan Paleologul the VIII.

Agheazmatar Building from Neamt Monastery – Agheazmatar represents the place where priests make Holy Water. This building is located at Neamt Monastery outside the walls, in front of the bell tower. It’s worth talking about this building because of the interesting architectural shape and impressive proportions. This building was created between 1836 and 1847 and it’s called Agheazmatar.

Neamt Monastery museum – the oldest monastery from Neamt County, hosts a very important religious collection both for the religious culture and art as well for the national culture. The museum displays cult objects made out of precious metal, embroideries, fabrics, wood sculptures all made by the monks from the monastery or that were received as gifts over time from different rules. All these objects contain important historical information about our past and our traditions.

Hermitages of Neamt Monastery

Carbuna Hermitage – Neamt County – In 2001 “Prea Fericitul Parinte Patriarh Daniel” established Carbuna Hermitage here where so many soldiers died to defend our country, with St Stefan cel Mare as its Holy patron. The hermitage is build in the middle of an oak plantation near the cemetery where heroes from the Second World War are buried.

Braniste Hermitage – Neamt County – Braniste Hermitage is under the administration of Neamt Monastery and represents a secondary complex of buildings. The hermitage was built in 1582 from the order of ruler Petru Schipul.

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Vovidenia Hermitage – Neamt County – The church we can see today was built between 1849 and 1857. From an architectural stand of point the church was built in a clover shape plan with five towers from which 4 on the sides and one on the center. Vovidenia Hermitage was also known as “The Altar from the Peaceful Plane”.

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Pocrov Hermitage – Neamt County – located in a forest with old trees, at approximately 4 km south-west from the Neamt Monastery, Pocrov Hermitage was built in 1714 by Pahomie and his apprentices: Sofronie, Mardarie, Lazar, Dosoftei and Ioanichie. The Pocrov hermitage also called “The Haven’s Plane” represents a true place of peace where many monks lived a calm yet harsh life.

“Icoana Veche” Hermitage – Neamt County – “Icoana Veche” Hermitage is located in a dense forest in the north of Neamt Monastery. Between 1821 and 1822, because of the Eteria, the monks hide the icon of St Mary there – this icon was a gift received 600 years ago. After 1822 the icon, together with some other objects, were moved back into the monastery and on the place where they stayed they built a wooden cross painted by Agapie, as a reminder of what happen there.

“Icoana Noua” Hermitage it’s under the administration of Neamt Monastery, which is the oldest monastery from Neamt County and it’s located in the place called “Valea Icoanei” (The Icon’s Valley). The origins of this hermitage are from 1941 at the initiative of father Vasian Iosub (the abbot of the hermitage from 1946).

St Mary Chapel called “Paraclisul Adormirii Maicii Domnului” was built in 1640 by the monk Ghedeon. Over time this chapel suffered many modifications. The stone from the entrance in the chapel where it’s written a short history of the building actually belongs to St Nicolae Church from Neamt Stronghold and was brought here in 1718 together with other religious objects.

In 1853, the monk Iulian made the iconostasis from the chapel (the same monk painted the iconostasis from the other chapel of Secu Monastery, St Nicolae Chapel). The religious icons from St Mary Cahpel’s iconostasis are made in the Renascence style. The sculptures were covered in gold and made in the baroque style.

In 1958, Ghervasie Hulubaru made the paintings from the entrance door of the chapel in a neo-byzantine style. This painting depicts the scene of St Mary leaving this world. The interior of the chapel was never painted which rarely happens in a Romanian Orthodox building.

Pilgrims come to this chapel mainly because of two holy relics of father Vichentie Malau and father Antim Gaina. These two monks that lived in the mountains from Neamt County are well known for their faith and for the fact that they managed to guide many lost souls on the right path.

The present day church was built in 1832 and it’s known as the Church of St Joan the Baptizer’s Birth (“Nasterea Sfantului Ioan Botezatorul” Church). From an architectural point the building has all the characteristics of the Moldavian architecture from XIX century.

The iconostasis of the church was brought from the main church of Secu Monastery. The paintings and sculptures were made in 1740 by Nifon Udrea Trotusanul in the Renascence style with Byzantine influences and covered almost entirely in gold.

From the stone inscription that was created in 1832 and that is located at the entrance of the church we find that the church was built from stone on the expense of different founders and benefactors.

The interior of the church is not painted. On the east side of the building you’ll find the ossuary in which the visitor can enter from the exterior of the church. Here are kept the bones of the monks that lived and prayed at Secu Monastery over time.

In front of the cemetery’s church from Secu Monastery there is the pedestal of the table from the Holy Altar that is 400 years old. This pedestal is the original one from Zosima Hermitage church and it’s also the only thing that remained from the old church of the hermitage. Today, this church is mainly used for funerals and it can be visited by pilgrims that come to Secu Monastery.

The construction of the monastery started in 1992 at the initiative of the priest Ilarion Argatu and his son, the priest Alexandru. Ilarion Argatu graduated the Theological University from Cernauti and the Military School from Bacau. Building a monastery in this place transformed in only one night from the Second World War in an immense cemetery was one of his great wishes.

Photos of “Sfanta Cruce” Monastery, Neamt County

The religious settlement from Brusturi forest was initially a hermitage under the administrative guidance of Bistrita Monastery. Until the church and first cellars were built, here existed only a tomb with a stone cross where they buried the remains of an unknown soldier. Afterwards they built a wooden crucifix in the memory of the soldiers that died here.

The church resembles the religious buildings from Maramures (a region from the north of Romania) and it’s made of oak wood. The white bell-towers from the roof attract the eye. The painting from the inside of the church is made in fresco style and it’s extremely beautiful. Right near the church there are some cellars, a bell-tower and a big wooden gate.

In 2007 the hermitage that at that time had only 12 monks was transformed in a monastery. Even though the monastery it’s located in a remote place pilgrims are coming here to pray and light a candle for the souls of those that died in this forest. If you want to visit “Sfanta Cruce” Monastery you can follow the dirt road marked with crosses or go straight through the forest.

One of the most important objects from Neamt Monastery that also has a special religious value can be seen in “Inaltarea Domnului” Church from the inner court of the monastery: this object is the religious-icon of St Mary Mother of Jesus, also known as The Lidian Icon. This religious-icon dates from 665 and was painted in Lidia, the home land of St Gheorghe. In 1429 the religious-icon was given as a gift to ruler Alexandru cel Bun by the Byzantine Emperor Ioan Paleologul the VIII.

The icon is placed in the nave of the church and it represents St Mary with baby Jesus sitting on her left arm. On the other side of the icon you can see a representation of St Gheorghe, pictured as a soldier sitting on a chair with the dragon killed at his feet holding in the right hand a spear and in the left hand a sword. The painting is protected with a metallic ornament created between 1844 and 1845.

The icon of St Mary is also known as The Lidian Icon because it’s considered to be a replica of the icon of St Mary from Lidia. Another reason for this name is because on the back we can see the icon of St Gheorghe that was born in Lidia. The icon of St Mary from Neamt Monastery is well known as a miracle-icon and this is one of the reasons many pilgrims choose to visit this monastery.

Read more information about Neamt Monastery (history, attraction points, images, video and its hermitages).