Capriana Assumption monastery

Capriana monastery is one of the oldest in Moldova. For the first time it was mentioned in charters of Alexander the Kind in the 30's of the 15th century. For a long time this monastery was the residence of Metropolitan of Moldova and was patronized by Moldovan Sovereigns, including Stefan the Great. Here lived the famous Moldovan chronicler Euftimie and one of the first local poets, monk Chiprian. Besides, monastery owned one of the richest libraries in Moldova.

During the second ruling of Stefan's the Great son, Petru Rares, in the middle of the 16th century, the monastery was completely rebuilt. At that time the Assumption Church was erected. Later it became the center of the entire monastic complex. The Church was reconstructed after the earthquake in 1820, but the main features of the medieval temple were preserved. The fretted wooden iconostasis of the Church is of a particular value: its pictures were made on a special order in a very complicated technique in the middle of the 19th century. Winter St. George Church was also built in the 19th century. Monk cells and household buildings, surrounding the Assumption Church, adjoin it. The remains of the Metropolitan G. Banulescu-Bodoni, who did a lot for Capriana monastery and the country in whole, have been buried by the walls of the monastery.

The monastery is situated in about 60 km to the northwest from Chisinau, in Codri, in Capriana-Scoreni landscape reserve, which is famous for its 600-year oak of Stefan the Great, planted by the sovereign himself.

In the soviet times Capriana monastery was destroyed and stood empty, but in 1989 it was opened one of the first and since then it has been one of the most haunted monasteries in Moldova.

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