Romania - Eastern Europe - page 555

they're separated from the “wicked” by a dove representing the Holy Spirit, while Moses
(holding a scroll) points out their misdeeds. Below the dove, ugly demons try to steal
souls, fighting among themselves as they torture sinners. On the southern wall is the
Tree of Jesse, recounting Christ's genealogy. As you enter the church, you'll see the mar-
tyrdom of St. Sebastian, above you on your left; you'll also see numerous other martyrs
suffering terrible tortures. Inside the church, the frescoes have been revitalized thanks
to a thorough restoration job; works worth looking out for include The Last Supper,
and, in the nave, a painting of ! tefan cel Mare with his wife and legitimate son, Bogdan.
Voronet is 4km (2 1 ⁄ 2 miles) from Guru Humorului. Admission L4 ($1.45). Tues-Sun 10am-7pm.
Humor Humor was built in 1530, the absence of a tower suggesting that it
was not built by a royal leader but by High Chancellor Theodor Bubuiog at the
request of Voivode Petru Rare @ . Standout architectural elements include the floating
Byzantine vault and the inclusion of Gothic window frames; the arcaded open porch
was another innovation for the time, apparently inspired by local building traditions.
Smaller than the other monastic churches, Humor's paintings are Byzantine, but
include Gothic and Roman elements; the predominant color here is a dark red, made
from the madder pigment. The exterior frescoes are less well preserved than those at
Voronet, but what does remain is quite lovely. Badly faded on the southern wall is the
siege of Constantinople, with the Virgin answering the prayers of the besieged. As you
enter the church, angels peer down at you from above, perhaps preparing you for the
sight of more horrors being visited upon the martyrs. In the adjacent “Woman's
Room” there are numerous depictions of female saints. For spectacular views of the
surrounding countryside and the village of M â n â stirea Humor, climb the fantastically
narrow stairs in the tower (built in 1641) attached to the complex outer wall; the trip
up is more fun than the Tower of London. Like Humor, this church was only brought
back into service after the fall of Communism.
Mânâstirea Humor is roughly 5km (3 miles) north of Guru Humorului. Admission L4 ($1.45). Daily 10am-6pm.
Moldovi$a While it's a little harder to get here than to the slightly more
commercial monasteries at Voronet and Humor, it's worth the extra effort to view
some of the best preserved of all the monastery frescoes. Looked after by a group of
42 exceedingly friendly nuns (the oldest of whom, Mica Marina, is approaching 85,
and has been here since she was 14), the church was built by Petra Rare @ , the illegiti-
mate son of Stephen the Great, between 1532 and 1537, to replace an earlier church
erected by Alexander the Good (Alexandru cel Bun). Notable here is the distinctive
narrative style of the Byzantine technique; in many of the frescoes, you can discern
two different points in time within a single frame. In other words, a single image is
used to tell a story. Moldovita's exterior has been badly defaced—first by Turkish
invaders who carved out the eyes of the frescoed characters in order to spare being
judged by them, and later during the Austro-Hungarian occupation by Germanic vis-
itors who carved their names into the porch walls. Inside, the first two rooms of the
church are covered in representations of each day of the church calendar; if you can
find a nun who speaks English, she may help you find the day of your birth and so
identify the patron saint of your birthday. The museum, in one corner of the complex,
houses Petru Rare @ 's throne, as well as the monastery's prized “Pomme d'Or” (Golden
Apple) award from UNESCO.
Moldovi$a. Admission L4 ($1.45). Daily 10am-6pm.