Welcome to Agapia Monastery
Location:
Nine km south-west of Targu Neamt City and three km of Agapia Village on the same name river valley.
How to get here:
By car:
It’s important to get in Targu Neamt City where you start following the national road DN 15C towards south and immediately make a right turn on the national road DN15F to Agapia.
From South: follow the National road DN 15C from Piatra Neamţ and after Băltăţeşti, close to Săcăluşeşti commune make a left turn on the National road DN 15F to Agapia.
From West: follow the National road DN 15B from Izvorul Muntelui Lake till Târgu Neamţ City and then to south.
From East: follow the same National road DN 15B from (DN2 – Cristeşti) till the same city Târgu Neamţ and then again to south on DN 15C.
Transport:
We recommend you to rent a car once you arrived in Romania because is the easiest way to get to these monasteries. You can also arrive by train or bus till Târgu Neamţ and from here try to go at the bus station to see what buses departs for Agapia Monastery.
Foundation Year:
1641-1643
Church or Monastery saint title:
Saint Archangels Mihail and Gavril
The painted monasteries from Bucovina
Agapia Monastery
The importance and construction of Agapia Monastery:
However is not a monastery with an unique exterior color and also is not situated in the heart of Bucovina like the other monasteries, but at the edge of it, Agapia Monastery is however unique in beauty and importance, thing also mentioned in the works of the great Romanian writer Ion Creanga who lived in Humulesti (today a neighborhood part of Targu Neamt City) and spent his childhood in this area. The monastery is inhabited by nuns who have their houses near the church and it was built between 1641 and 1643 by the rich man Gavriil Coci who was the brother of the lord Vasile Lupu. The monastery was sanctified at 12 September 1646 and its major importance raised up when the famous Romanian painter Nicolae Grigorescu painted the frescoes between 1858 and 1861.
Entrance in Agapia Monastery Complex
Agapia Monastery Complex and Alexandru Vlahuta memorial house:
Agapia Monastery Complex developed in time from a simple church with the name Old Agapia till today’s complex composed from “Saint Voievods” Church (XVII century), “Saint John Bogoslov” Wood Church (1821), “The Assumption of Our Lady” Wood Church (1780), the Bell Tower (1823), the nuns houses and other annexed buildings (300-400 nuns). Also, just few minutes walk away is the memorial house of the Romanian writer Alexandru Vlahuta which is today a museum part of the monastery and can be visited. (Find more journeys on blog.worldlifetimejourneys.com)
Some of the nuns houses near the church
During time, Agapia complex passed through several fires, followed by restorations and one of the most important renovation periods was between 1961 and 1965 when many buildings parts of the monastery complex were renovated. “Saint Voievods” main church’s walls are very thick made by brick stone and rock and have a white immaculate color.
Agapia Monastery, view from the back
The pictures and intern iconography of Agapia Monastery:
The major importance is given by the intern iconography, where Nicolae Grigorescu painted between 1858 and 1860 many religious icons inspired by the works of the great artists Tizian, Rembrandt, Rafael or Leonardo da Vinci. His main paintings present here are Our Lady, Jesus praying in Ghetsimani Garden and Saint Trinity. Today, Agapia Monastery silently continues its long existence and welcomes any tourist who comes for prayer, to participate at mass or at least who comes for a moment of silence and internal reconciliation. Visit Agapia Monastery!
Agapia Monastery, side view
