Sucevita Monastery

The monastery ensemble situated at 51 km to Suceava and 18 km to Radauti, close to Sucevita river, is part of the Unesco heritage. It was build between 1578-1586 by Movila family (great boyars, scribes and even lords of Moldova and Tara Romaneasca between XVI-XVII century). Built in Moldavian style architecture - combination of Byzantine and Gothic art elements, plus the architectural elements of the old wooden churches in Moldova, the ensemble of large-scale, has a three-lobed plan and a style store settled in the era of Stephen the Great, with closed porch. Special touch on the church are two other small open porches (pillars connected by accolade arches) added later on the south and north wings; par excellence a wallachian trade mark, they are an obvious echo of the architecture of Wallachia. Apses niches, gothic stone frames and very small niches on the tower body and on it’s three stellar bases are maintained. The interior court of the monastic ensemble is almost square (100 by 104 meters) and is surrounded by high (6 m), wide (3 m) walls The walls are strengthened with buttresses, bulwarks and imposing towers. Narrow loopholes in the upper part of the walls indicate that a defensive catwalk encircled the compound. 
Each of the five towers has a different plan. The square gate tower with its pointed octagonal turret is in the middle of the north wall. A vaulted gateway, with heavy buttresses on either side, leads through to the compound. Above the arch of the gateway is a semicircular niche with a painting of The Resurrection and the carved coat of arms of Moldavia. The existing monastic buildings (Sucevița was a princely residence as well as a fortified monastery) abut the east wall. The central part is original, and houses, besides the nuns’ cells, a museum with embroideries, manuscripts, religious objects and icons.