An architectural masterpiece: Curtea de Arges Cathedral

The Cathedral of Curtea de Argeș is one of the most beautiful churches you could see while travelling across Romania. It represents an Orthodox church, built in the Byzantine architectural style.

Located in Curtea de Arges city, southern Romania, the building looks like a very large mausoleum faced with beautiful pale grey limestone.

The founder of this magnificent cathedral was Neagoe Basarab, a Wallach prince, who started the works for this monument in 1512. However, the cathedral was completed by Prince Ioan Radu 14 years later. It was reconstructed a few times over the centuries and what we see today was rebuilt between 1875 – 1885.

© Alina Barbu

The location has inspired many Romanian writers and painters; however it was also the source for various legends.

The most famous and saddest one is the Legend of Manole – a Romanian architect designated by the Wallach Prince to build the most beautiful cathedral in the country. Legend says that the walls of the cathedral were crumbling over the night, ruining all the work of Manole and his 9 assistants for the foundation of the church. The Prince threatened Manole and his workers with execution, unless the church is built as demanded. Under a lot of pressure, Manole dreamed one night that the church could only be built with a human sacrifice. In his dream, he was told that the monastery will resist only if they put into the walls of the monastery a beloved one. The next day, he told his masons about his weird dream and they decided that the first woman who would come to bring lunch for her husband the following day should be the one to be built into the walls of the monastery.

© Alina Barbu

His workers told their wives about Manole’s insane plan, hence, the next day the only woman that came was Ana, Manole’s wife. Manole was forced to keep his promise and built the walls around her body, burring her alive. However, this didn’t bring them a long life afterwards. When the work was done, the Prince asked the workers if they could build a greater and more beautiful monument. As the answer was positive, he decided to punish them and leave them on the roof of the new built monastery, so they will perish and never build something similar. They tried to fly off the roof by making wooden wings, but all of them died in these attempts, including Manole. It is believed, that a well of clear water appeared on the spot where Manole felt down representing his tears for his beloved wife.

Legend or not, the south wall of the monastery is always humid. It is said, that this is the place where Manole laid the bricks around Ana’s body.

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