Revelations of Byzantium: The Monasteries and Painted Churches of Northern MoldaviaThe monasteries and painted churches of Moldavia stand today as a testament to the rich cultural and spiritual heritage of the Romanian people. As the Romanians living in the historical provinces of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Transylvania, which today form modern Romania, struggled to maintain their autonomy against Ottoman expansion, their relative freedom allowed them to express themselves both artistically and culturally. Among their most remarkable creations are the monasteries and painted churches of Moldavia, in northeastern Romania, the subjects of this book. These monuments, unique in the world, reflect a cultural legacy inherited from Byzantium and the Roman Empire. After the fall of Byzantium and the expansion of Ottoman rule throughout the Balkan Peninsula, the Romanian principalities became the most important depository of the Byzantine heritage. It was here that this tradition was preserved, having been passed on to the Romanians of the Middle Ages by their ancestors. From here this heritage continued to spread throughout Europe and influence European society and culture, creating the historical phenomenon that the great Romanian historian Nicolae Iorga would refer to as "Byzantium after Byzantium." The monasteries and painted churches of Northern Moldavia stand today as true revelations of Byzantium. This full-color album is written and photographed by Alan Ogden, the author of Romania Revisited: On the Trail of English Travellers, 1602-1941 and Fortresses of Faith: A Pictorial History of the Fortified Saxon Churches of Romania, both published by the Center for Romanian Studies. The author provides a comprehensive introduction discussing the art and architecture of the monasteries and painted churches of Northern Moldavia. Each church is then presented separately in words and pictures to reveal its own unique history and artistic beauty. Also included is an introduction to the history of Moldavia and Romanian lands during the Middle Ages by Kurt W. Treptow, a noted specialist on Romanian history and original illustrations by renowned artist, Octavian Ion Penda. |
Contents
7 | |
24 | |
Moldavian Church Painting | 40 |
The Great Themes | 62 |
Monasteries and Painted Churches of Northern Moldavia | 106 |
126 | 142 |
Moldovita Monastery | 162 |
Neamt Monastery | 178 |
Pângarati Monastery | 184 |
Other editions - View all
Revelations of Byzantium: The Monasteries and Painted Churches of Northern ... Alan Ogden No preview available - 2021 |
Revelations of Byzantium: The Monasteries and Painted Churches of Northern ... Alan Ogden No preview available - 2002 |
Common terms and phrases
Akathistos Hymn Alexander La˘puşneanu altar angels Apostles apses Arbore architecture artists Bishop Bogdan boyars Bucureşti built Byzantine emperor Byzantium Christ Christian colors cultural decorated Delnit¸a Demetrius Detail Transylvania door Dragomirna dragon Drăuşeni exterior frescoes George Golia Gothic Greek Ground plan Gura Humorului Hermits History Holy Humor Iaşi icon influence Interior Ioan Jesse’s Tree John Key paintings King Last Judgment Mălâncrav medieval Menologion Metropolitan Michael the Brave Moldavia Moldavian prince Moldovit¸a Monastery Saints monks Mugeni murals naos Neamt nineteenth century North Wall ornamentation Orthodox Ottoman painted churches Peter Rareş porch Probota pronaos Putna Râşca Renaissance Roman Romanian lands Romanian principalities scenes seventeenth century Siege of Constantinople sixteenth century South Wall steeple Stephen the Great’s stone style Suceava Sucevit¸a sultan symbol Three Apses Three Hierarchs throne tomb room tower tradition Transylvania Triconch Triconch plan Vasile Lupu vaulting system Virgin Vlad III Dracula Voronet Votive Wallachia West Wall wife