Iezer Hermitage, Valea Oltului

Iezer Hermitage - details and images

Iezer Hermitage is the key to the village, town Olanesti Ramnicu Valcea county. Iezer the monastic compound sits in close touch with the life of Saint Anthony of Iezeru Valcea, which hermits in these parts, in a hidden cave.

Hermitage Iezer in Valcea is one of the most remote northern Oltenia Hermitage, located in the mountain gorges in Valcea county. St. Anthony of Iezeru monk, lived in the first decades of the eighteenth century, an outstanding personality of the monastic life, was canonized by the Holy Synod of the Romanian Orthodox Church in June 1992.

Venerable St. Anthony of Iezeru Valcea is celebrated every year on 23 November. His relics are preserved with great reverence, in the new chapel of the hermitage - which left the church, the body cells.

Near the monastery there was an existing older wooden hermitage, attested since the years 1495-1501, during the reign of Radu the Great, who granted the hermitage some income. Current Hermitage was built by Mircea the Shepherd and his wife, Mrs. Chiajna, between 1552-1553, but the works were completed in the years 1567-1568, after its founder's death.

Throughout the ages, Hermitage initially degraded. Chiriac Ramniceanu monk narrates these, heard in 1806, the old mouth Ieromonahul Stephen, abbot of the hermitage: "For the same gentleman mentioned above, Mircea maritand with two girls and a little ahead on most of the great greatest girl was disgusted and running away from his father Mircea Voda, the Hungarian country, took in marriage a Hungarian - Nemes - great pagan.Mai knew before his father, Mircea Voda, had made this monastery inzestrand it with other estates and who had, still and a boiler in the church wall Iezerul money made as to when it will happen to spoil the monastery, finding it to make it. So, is worried his father, told her husband that monastery, where and buried the money, and he is starting there as a tyrant, coming over the mountains and arriving at that place Nemtesti desert fathers and monks who have found cut into pieces and a whole monastery had collapsed to the ground , searching and finding the money and i have taken and left in his country. "

"In addition Iezer is said to have been gold mines operated by the Saxons in Transylvania. Tradition says, that the very Mihai Voda - Brave and the left in its coffers Iezer book, before leaving for the war in Transylvania, and that after he was killed on the Turzii, the monastery was devastated by foreign invaders, which killed 300 monks who lived in it and then they took the hidden treasures of Michael, the Iezer. " (Odobescu)

Coming subdued Ramnic Episcopate, Bishop Hilarion, Anthony helped the monk, he rebuilt the hermitage in 1714, says the inscription on the wall and the church: "This Holy Church where it is celebrated from the very intaiu Vovidenia was built by Prince Mircea of the late Mrs. Chiajna in 1553 and the passage of necautare times were collapsed, and more from his lover made by God, Bishop Hilarion Cyrus, and Anthony helped monk and now in Damascus's day, Bishop of Ramnic were painted and have decorated the humble among Hieromonk Chir Nicholas Nicoli Sin ot recruit Teius Meseta Mart in September 7222 (1714). "

After recovery hermitage here to shelter a large monastic community with over three hundred monks. Some of them lived in communal life in the monastery, while others took to caves or cells removed Hermitage, coming only on Sundays and holidays to assist the jobs committed in the holy church of the hermitage. An important role in the recovery had Iezer Hermitage St. Anthony of Iezer Pious, who donated all his savings and has worked to build the cells.

Between 1909-1912, the foundation being "in poverty by the haze, Iosil Protosingelos Lascu, Gennady Bishop's time, depicts the entire altar, high bell tower, which sits two bells, repair cells, making and other household improvements.

Iezer Hermitage has been restored and the years 1865-1890, when the cells were repaired and built and bell, and in 1970 by the Diocese Ramnic and Arges, who made several improvements of household order. In 1994, the monastic compound Iezeru Valcea was not yet electrified.

Valcea Iezeru monastic life was taken from the monks until 1946. But afterwards, between 1946-1960, tabernacle of prayer have been occupied by nuns, who left the hermitage bound by the decree of 1959 gave the Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej. Only after the events of 1989 have returned and nuns, monastic life unfolding now normal.

Nuns have built a new church, larger, more spacious. The new church, built as a chapel, situated in the central bisericutei left, framed in body cells. They are also working to renovate and straveschea small church with paintings from the seventeenth century.

Iezer Hermitage has three buildings in the wall, floors, wooden porch. The inner courtyard of the hermitage, small stone is surrounded by a wall. Monastery church, dedicated to carrying the "Entry into the Church of the Virgin Mary, celebrated every year on November 21, is cared for by a communal ascetic nuns.

The church has the shape of the vessel, with altar, nave with two windows, a side door to the north and prestol window. Hermitage Church of the Hermitage is similar to the troughs, just missing here porch. Bisericutei iconostasis is a wall, and the nave is separated from the nave by a wall which has an opening in the middle as a door.

The church is covered with tin. The church has no tower, and exterior walls have a median waist. Niches adorned with icons painted only the narthex facade. Bell is also a cell wall and inside.

Fresco painting of the church was done by Nicholas Ieromonahul, but in terms of achieving its date, if the construction was done in 1714 by Bishop Hilarion, could not all be painted in 1714 - at that time Bishop Damascus is, it might be a mistake, and painting have been done later, perhaps by 1720.

General painting was completed in 1720 by Nicholas ieromonarhul - sin. Nicoliot Teius - during Ramnic Bishop of Damascus. Hieromonk Resturnata between 1865-1870 by the key Dositei in 1881 on orders from Abbot Nicander, depicts him back porch, part of the altar and the inscription says, is Moses Painter painter.

Crosses Mosilor is a place venerated by Christians. When the monastery was pillaged, more than 300 monks have defended the old St. Settlement with the price of their lives, sfarsiind as true martyrs. They were decapitated, and the monastery was demolished.

Mosiah martyrs were discovered later by villagers in the key, which was buried in three mass graves at the foot of the rocks. Villagers have three crosses carved in stone meant for elderly christian monks tomb. On the road, right Mosilor Cross, today Holy Trinity guards carefully built by the noble nuns and believers.

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