Voroneț Monastery

General

Romania is renowned for the painted monasteries from southern Bukovina. Voroneț Moastery is probably the most famous of them all. The church became well-known for its exterior frescoes of bright and intense colours, and for the hundreds of well-preserved figures placed against the renowned azure background.

The legend tells that Stephen the Great - Prince of Moldavia between 1457 and 1504 - was in a moment of crises during the war against the Ottoman Turks. He went to Voroneț to see Daniel the Hermit and to ask for advice. After winning the battle, he kept his promise to the monk and built a new church dedicated to Saint George, the "bringer of victory in battle". The Metropolitan Bishop of Moldavia, Grigorie Roşca, added in 1547 the exonarthex to the west end of the church.The church was built in only four months and a half in 1488, a real record of the time.

The church still has the original decoration on the north façade with beautiful rows of ceramic enameled discs in yellow, brown and green, decorated in relief.

Situated 36 km from Suceava and only 4 km from Gura Humorului, the church is a real treasure of Romanian culture and history. Voronet Monastery is one of the Painted churches of northern Moldavia listed in UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites.