Voronet
Voronet is monastery complex and contains the most visited painted church in Romania. The external frescoes give rise to the marketing tag-line of “The Sistine Chapel of the East”. Certainly the west and south walls are stunning to see.
The church was built in 1488 by Stephen the Great as a tribute to his success in battle against the Ottomans. It was completed in the remarkable time of just over 3 months. The external frescoes were added in the 16th century, in a (retro?) gothic style, giving it a very parochial feel. The monastery was deserted soon after 1775, when the Habsburg monarchy annexed the northern part of Moldavia. The monastic community only returned to Voronet in 1991, hence the surrounding buildings and walls are new.
Romania 2026 Photos:
The west side decoration is divided into two sections. The right one shows the Tree of Jesse – the family tree of Jesus Christ. The left portion is a collections of illustrations from, mostly, the life of St Nicholas of Bari a much venerated saint in Romania. He is readily identified by the simple black and white cross tessellations of his cloak.
The view as you first enter
The neat monastery dwellings surrounding the church
