Cozia Monastery
Cozia Monastery
It is a foundation of Mircea the Elder, a medieval monastic complex, expanded and renovated over time. At first it was called Nucet Monastery, later it was changed its name after the nearby mountain, Cozia. The monastery is located 3 km from the resort Calimanesti-Caciulata and about 20 km north of Ramnicul Valcea.
The monastery was built, according to legend, near another monastery built by Negru Voda. The monastery’s large church, dedicated to the Holy Trinity, was built between 1387 and 1391, and its founder was the prince Mircea the Elder.
| Schedule: | |
|---|---|
| Monday to Sunday | 8:00 – 21:00 |
It was consecrated on May 18, 1388, as it appears from the hrisov of Mircea the Elder. The hrisov is also the document attesting Călimănești in Vâlcea county.
The decoration of the church facades with stone rosettes, horizontal rows of brick and stone in Byzantine style and vertical frames are unprecedented in the architecture of the mountains and the interior painting was made between 1390 and 1391. Mircea the Elder was constantly concerned with the endowment and embellishment of the monastery, by strengthening the property rights over several villages and estates.
Over time the monastery was repaired and renovated many times by rulers such as Neagoe Basarab, Radu Paisie and Constantin Brâncoveanu. The last renovation and consolidation was carried out between 1 July 1958 and 1 January 1959 by the Romanian government, at the intervention of the then Patriarch Justinian Marina.
Cozia Monastery’s dungeon
In the immediate vicinity of Cozia Monastery is the Holy Apostles’ Abbey[10], built by Radu Paisie (also known as Petru de la Argeș), son of Radu the Great and ruler of Wallachia between 1535-1545. The mural painting of the chapel was made in 1542-1543 by the painters David and his son Raduslav.
