Curtea de ArgeÈ™

Known for the multitude of tourist attractions Romania, is also known for its religious tourism. In Romania are a lot of monasteries. Among the most famous and most beautiful monasteries, lies the Monastery of Curtea de ArgeÈ™.

Curtea de ArgeÅŸ Monastery is located in Arges county, at 37 km from Pitesti, 40 km away from Ramnicu Valcea and 150 km from Bucharest.

The monastery was built by Neagoe Basarab (1512 - 1517) on the place of the old metropolitan church (1359). The interior painting, made by the painter Dobromir, was completed in 1526, during the reign of Radu from Afumaţi.

This monastery has gone through many troubles and dangers. In the winter of 1610-1611, Gabriel Bathory's army, the church and robbed of everything that was precious graves, taking with them the church the roof, roof made of lead and tin and leaving the church exposed to damages. Matei Basarab (1632-1654) remade the church and endowed it, and Serban Cantacuzino (1678-1688), who appoints Neagoe "ancestor of my reign," also undertook restoration work to the monastery.

The wars between Russia and Turkey in 1769-1774 and 1787-1791 brought to the Monastery robberies and other damages. An earthquake on 29 October 1802 and then a fire, another earthquake on 28 January 1838 other fires in January 1866 , 23 April 1867 and on 2 December the same year, brought new deteriorations and great damages to the monastery.

Repaired several times, the church was restored (1875 - 1886) by the French architect André Lecomte du Nouy disciple of Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, who brought some changes that decreased the historic value of the monument. Constructed from folded and shaped stone, the church has a triconic plan, inspired by the planimetry of the church Vodiţa II, resumed later in other constructions as: the Metropolitan Church of Bucharest, the old convent church of Cotroceni, Tismana monastery etc..

In the pronaos of the church you can see the graves of:
- main founder Neagoe Basarab (1521)
- the tombstone of the nun Platonida - Mrs. Despina - (1554) Neagoe's wife
- Lady Stana tombstone (Sofronia) (1531) - daughter of Neagoe and his wife Stefanita Voda of Moldova
- the tombstone of Prince Radu of Afumati (1529), Mrs. Ruxandra husband, daughter of Neagoe
- the tomb of King Carol I and Elisabeth,
- the tomb of King Ferdinand and Maria.

In the center of the palace in the chapel are preserved the relics of Saint Martyrs Filofteia. The history of Curtea de Arges Monastery represent a substantial part of the history of the Romanian Orthodox Church itself.

Near the monastery is located the fountain of the Master Manole, the legendary builder of the monastery, the hero of several ballads. The legend says that the master Manole, to stop the demolition of walls, built into the monastery walls, his wife. When the prince saw the beautiful building asked the 10 craftsmen if they can build a monastery more beautiful than this. The craftsmen have nodded and the prince, to prevent the construction of another beautiful monasterie, ordered the demolition of the scaffolding and the craftsmen were stuck on the roof. They made wings from shingles and threw themselves, but all died.

In the the place where crashed the Master Manole appeared a fountain, the fountain of the Master Manole. It is said that there are days in which the Fountain of Manole can be seen how a shining white steam climbs towards the former monastery hospital.Less