Văratec Monastery
| Văratec Monastery | |
|---|---|
| Mănăstirea Văratec | |
 |
|
| Basic information | |
| Location | Văratec, Neamț County, Romania |
| Geographic coordinates | 47°8′23″N 26°16′6″E / 47.13972°N 26.26833°ECoordinates: 47°8′23″N 26°16′6″E / 47.13972°N 26.26833°E |
| Affiliation | Eastern Orthodox |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Nunnery |
| Status | Active |
| Patron | Dormition of the Theotokos |
| Architectural description | |
| Founder | Olimpiada |
| Groundbreaking | 1781 |
| Completed | 1785 |
| Materials | River stone, brick |
Văratec Monastery is a Romanian Orthodox nun monastery located in north-eastern part of the country, in Văratec village, Agapia Commune, Neamţ County. It is situated at 12 from Târgu Neamț city and 40 km from Piatra Neamț city. It is the largest nun monastery in Romania, with more than 400 nuns living here.
The monastery was founded in 1785 by schema nun Olimpiada, with her confessor, Father Iosif. In this work, mother Olimpiada was guided by Father Paisius Velicicovsky, hegumen of Neamț Monastery. Set under Agapia Monastery administration, which was close by, Văratec Monastery became an independent monastery in 1839.
Massive stone walls enclose the main church, The Dormition of the Virgin Mary, the abbot's building and the administrative buildings (in the northern side of the enclosure) and the monastery's Museum, where the "Queen Mary" workshop used to be (in the building on the south side). The monastic precinct is surrounded by the monastery village, made up of rural traditional houses, where the nuns live, and which lie along narrow alleys.
The assembly of Văratec Monastery was included on the historical monuments list from Neamț county in 2004, with the classification code NT-II-a-B-10732 and it consists on 5 objectives:
The founding of the Văratec Monastery is connected with the name of Bălașa Herescu (1757-1842), priest Mihail's daughter, from the . She lived as rassophore in the Toplița Skete nearby, by the name sister Olimpiada. She has received some domains from the great treasurer Deleanu and from the forester Ion Bălănoiu.
Advised by father Paisius Velicicovsky, hegoumen at Neamț Monastery, who wanted to dissolve the small nun sketes, situated near cities and villages and to concentrate the nuns in a few larger monasteries, isolated from the world, mother Olimpiada established between 1781-1785, a small hermitage in Văratec clearing. In June 1785, Olimpiada, together with her confessor Iosif, began building a wooden church with the titular saint "The Dormition of Virgin Mary". Near the church they have built cells, in which many nuns came to live, thus founding Văratec Skete.
Together with mother Olimpiada, confessor Iosif is also considered the founder of the monastery. He was born around 1750, in the village Valea Jidanului in Transilvania, and entered at an early age in the monastic life, becoming a novice of the renowned monk Paisius Velicicovsky, while the latter was still in Dragomirna monastery. Father Iosif died on 28 December 1828, and is buried in the narthex of the main church, "Dormition of the Virgin Mary", from Văratec Monastery. He was sanctified in 2005, and he is celebrated on 16 August.
...
Wikipedia