Cetatuia Monastery - Iasi - details and images

The monastery is a fortress built by Gheorghe Duca, Ruler, dedicated to the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem and built between 1669-1672.
Taken together, it seems a veritable fortress that guards the Iasi today, as in previous centuries, the founding of Moldova, the old fortress guarded the settlement at the foot of the hill. The walls were left standing and fighting with the times .."

Monastery Cetatuia, with all annexes, is one of the finest works of architectural art in the seventeenth century Moldova.
The name reveals the massive walls, used as a refuge gentlemen armed resistance against the invasion of Moldavia and tatatre. The wall is 7m high and 1.4m wide, built of massive stone, corner towers, battlements. The entrance is through a cannon bell.
As the foundation of the plan and proportions similar Duca Voda Three Hierarchs church, but not its exuberant decoration. But, as expressed G. Bals, lack of a rich external decoration gives to the fortress church "a quieter look."
The plan is traditional, with well-known division in the altar nave, narthex and porch, and semicircular apses are polygonal inside and outside, each with 3 windows apse.

Like the Three Hierarchs, abutments, seven in number, support the outer walls of the fortress church.
In the tympanum of the door, in a cross with equal arms and rounded is carved coat of arms of Moldova: Bull head that holds a crown is fitted with a cross in the middle, having a lion and the other part.
Porch tall, rectangular and round arches on the pendant is lit by two windows.

Of great artistic value and the painting is represented not only by its monumental compositions, but also by the reduced tension or even lockets. Seeing the frescoes inside the church fortress, there is a lively treatment, by which painters have managed to impart a strong expressive characters, suggest combinations of perspective and human drama play. Moldovan Countryside Painting is done by brothers Michael and George Dima Ioannina (Greece) and discusses topics such as "Doomsday" and "Tree of Jesse.

The monastic complex was completely renovated between 1970 - 1980 abbot Archimandrite with persistence and sacrifice.
Fortress is a spiritual oasis and a strong attraction for thousands of ascetics who find support spiritual.Inca here again, another construction proves that Iasi is more than you expect ... Around every corner it seems that flashes a splendid ruin that hides a treasury building indicate a glorious history.

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