Churches of Moldavia

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The Churches of Moldavia: A Testament to Byzantine Art and Moldavian Architecture

The Churches of Moldavia, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993, offer a captivating glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of the Moldavian region in Romania. This collection of eight churches, dating from the late 15th to the late 16th centuries, stands as a testament to the fusion of Byzantine art and Moldavian architecture that flourished during the Principality of Moldavia.

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UNESCO Description of the World Heritage Site

These eight churches of northern Moldavia, built from the late 15th century to the late 16th century, their external walls covered in fresco paintings, are masterpieces inspired by Byzantine art. They are authentic and particularly well preserved. Far from being mere wall decorations, the paintings form a systematic covering on all the facades and represent complete cycles of religious themes.Their exceptional composition, the elegance of the characters, and the harmony of the colors blend perfectly with the surrounding countryside. The interior and exterior walls of the Church of the Suceviţa Monastery are entirely decorated with mural paintings of the 16th century, and this church is the only one to show a representation of the ladder of St John Climacus.

UNESCO Justification of the World Heritage Site

Criterion (i): The external paintings of the churches of Northern Moldavia cover all the facades. They embody a unique and homogeneous artistic phenomenon, directly inspired by Byzantine art. They are masterpieces of mural painting, and are of outstanding aesthetic value in view of their consummate chromatism and the remarkable elegance of the figures. They present cycles of events taken from the Bible and the Holy Scriptures, in the Orthodox Christian tradition.

Criterion (iv): The idea of completely covering the external facades of churches by paintings is an eminent example of a type of church construction and decoration adopted in Moldavia, which illustrates the cultural and religious context of the Balkans from the late 15th century to the late 16th century.

Encyclopedia Record: Churches of Moldavia

The north of the Moldavia region in Romania preserves numerous religious buildings as a testimony of the Moldavian architectural style developed in the Principality of Moldavia starting from the 14th century.

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