Romania - Eastern Europe - page 556

Sucevi$a A host of angels greets you from the well-preserved southern wall
of this gorgeously painted church, situated 32km (20 miles) north of Moldovi $ a. Built
a mere 410 years ago, Sucevita once served as a fortified city-in-miniature for villagers
who'd hide behind its massive walls during attacks; the fortifications and monastery
grounds are certainly the largest. On the northern wall, Greek philosophers are repre-
sented as kings of knowledge; try to locate Plato—the coffin on his head symbolizes
the fact that he was the first philosopher to speak about the soul, considered a Chris-
tian concept. The enclosed porch around the entrance is the most elaborately painted
of all the churches. Pay attention to the zodiac signs above you as you enter, and notice
the angels at the edges of the cycles, rolling up time. Inside, bloody accounts of the
life, torture, and death of various saints—notably St. George, are depicted. In the sec-
ond room, notice the Star of David on the lower curtainlike portion of the frescoes,
an unusual symbolic reference to the Old Testament, not found in the three previous
churches. Here, in the center of the iconostasis, is an exceptionally lifelike rendition
of Christ. Another highlight is a curious tapestry woven by Ieremia Movila (whose
father built the monastery); there are 10,000 pearls woven into the piece. The
monastery is apparently haunted by the ghost of the artist who, while working on the
western wall, tragically fell from the scaffolding; the frustrated spirit has since pre-
vented the fresco from being completed.
Sucevi$a. Admission L4 ($1.45). Daily 8am-8pm.
IA!I
Ia@i is 393km (244 miles) NE of Bucharest
Some of Ia @ i's most vivid associations are with the country's literary superhero, Mihai
Eminescu, who lived, loved, and wrote poetry here for a good part of his highly
romanticized life. But the city is much older than Eminescu, of course; founded in the
14th century, it usurped Suceava as Moldavia's capital in 1565. As the seat of power,
the city experienced a long-term renaissance in cultural activity and architectural
development, culminating in its being declared the first capital of Romania (for a brief
spell between 1859-62), and the establishment of the first Romanian university here
in 1860. The resultant tide of cosmopolitanism is still evident today, albeit tucked
between uglier relics of 20th-century construction, notably in the form of concrete
blocks that blight the city's neoclassical center.
But Ia @ i, like so much of Romania, is on the rebound, with plenty of restoration
and renovation programs up and running. The city may be Bucharest extra-light, but
the pulse is growing.
WHERE TO STAY
If the idea of staying in a Wild West-themed hotel in Eastern Europe gives you
the heebie-jeebies (see Little Texas review, below), recent newcomer Majestic is a wel-
come addition to Ia @ i's burgeoning accommodations scene ( & 0232/25-5557; www.
pensiuneamajestic.ro; from L195/$70/£37 double). It's smart, low-key, and intimate;
it's also just a short walk from the center of town. Guest rooms feature some of the
city's most comfortable beds, and bathrooms are decent-size. You could also check out
what's happening behind the beautiful facade of the Traian Hotel, located on historic
Pia $ a Unirii. The neoclassical building was designed by Gustave Eiffel in 1882; in
2006 it was undergoing much-needed renovations (reports prior to this were of totally