Romania-Bulgaria 2023

Bucharest, Romania – Ruse, Bulgaria

Stavropoleos Monastery (Mănăstirea Stavropoleos / Biserica Stavropoleos), 1719-1730.
This monastery for nuns from the 19th century is one of the rare examples of Bucharest Easter Orthodox architecture to survive the terrible eradication of historical culture during the communist years. The church and monastery is built in the evocative Brâncovenesc style, named after Constantin Brâncoveanu (1654-1714), Prince of Wallachia 1688-1714, also known as Wallachian Renaissance or the Romanian Renaissance.
The word Stavropoleos derives from Greek for “The city of the Cross”. The monastery is known for its collection of Byzantine music books, and its choir. Music was heard from speakers as we visited. The church has experienced collapses, including the dome falling, as the result of earthquakes. The paintings were restored at the turn of the 20th century. Only the church remains, the monastery having been victim to the communist systemisation programme.

To see more of this trip on the Travelogue, click here: Romania-Bulgaria 2023