Văratec Monastery

Massive walls made of stone close up a precinct where there are the “Dormition of the Mother of God” Church (the main church), the priorship building and the administrative buildings (situated in the buildings from the north side of the precinct), and the Monastery’s Museum, where previously there was the “Queen Mary” Workshop (situated in the building from the south side). The monastic precinct is surrounded by the monastic village, made of traditional houses, which are lined on narrow lanes, where the nuns live.

The Văratec Monastery assembly was included on the List of historic monuments from Neamț County in 2004, comprising of the next 5 locations: the “Dormition of the Mother of God” Church – dating back from the beginning of the XIX century, the Bell tower of the gate – dating back from the XIX century, “St. John the Baptist” Church – dating back from 1844, with additions around the year 1880, the “Face Changing” Church – dating back from 1847, and the Sanctums – dating back from the XIX-XX centuries.

The construction of the church from the Văratec Monastery was finished in 1812, but only in 1841 was it sanctified, after the painting was finished. In 1839, the ruler Mihail Sturza of Moldavia decide that the Văratec Monastery would be independent from the other monasteries and small monasteries in the area, and the parish of nuns could take care and decide independently about what is useful for the monastery.

Several landlords’ wives donated lands to this monastic settlement: the woman tax farmer Elencu Paladi, nun Elisabeta Balș, born under the name Zoe Rosetti, and married to the tax farmer Teodor Balș, and nun Safta Brâncoveanu (1778 – August, 1857).

In front of the church there is the bronze statue of Safta Brâncoveanu, who built a part of the useful things for the monastery. The statue was made by the sculptor John Jalea, in 1935. Starting with 1962 there have been some important consolidations, restoration and renovation works both on the three churches and on the guest chambers wing and some of the buildings at the Văratec Monastery.

In different periods, at the Văratec Monastery there have lived several theologians and people of culture. Among these we list the following: the female poet Veronica Micle, the protosinghel Nicodim Măndiță, the bishop Partenie Ciopron, the archimandrite Bartolomeu Anania and the academician Zoe Dumitrescu-Bușulenga.

The collection includes a rich heritage of religious objects and archaic icons painted in tempera colors on wood, dating back from the XV century and which depict St. Nicolas or the Archangels Michael and Gabriel, brought from the Râșca Monastery – the Moldavian city of Fălticeni.